dear ethics application

According to the National Statement of confusing words section 67.1.4 paragraph b) I declare that Friday afternoon is not the best time to be writing up your ethics applications...

print screen of my computer

Look, I will edit this properly on Monday. But seriously, how cool would it be to find out what is in your poo? And that shall be the topic of my questionnaire (look to the right of this screen... see it?), click away my pretties!

dear robots

Okay, so you're obviously all robots seeing as no-one commented on my blog. No worries, at least I know where I stand.

So just to put it out there, I don't know what on earth has gone on in regards to the Australian Labor Party leadership. There's an election coming up in August/September and that's when the Australia will again decide. Until then, meh.

Back to more important things. Today I went to a pretty cool workshop about "One Health" - the idea that environmental, medical and veterinary researchers should come together in multi-disciplinary collaborations. So from an infectious diseases perspective that is a rather good idea. Especially considering the physical isolation of Western Australia from the rest of Australia, as the issues that affect WA are not synonymous with the rest of Australia.

There were lollies on the table - fantales and minties (both of which my international robot readers won't know of but you guys are totally missing out), and from the wrappers I made lots of paper cranes! Hehe

instructions to the reader

I know you are all reading my blog; you want to know what on earth goes on in the mind of a girl who is fascinated by infectious diseases. That's fair, and I am trying to make this interesting, but I have something to ask of you.

You need to comment.

"Say whaaaaaat?!"

You need to comment, to let me know that you actually are reading this and it's not just robots clicking on my facebook link, and that you rather like my cupcake recipes and random rants about random things (giant inflatable rubber ducks anyone?).

So how do you do this.
Well, step one is to arrive at my blog, so congratulations on that.
Step two: scroll down to bottom of post until you see this box:

and then you click on the linked that I have circled for you. A pop up window will appear, which leads you to step three: type some lovely words for me to read. What should you write? ANYTHING! Say hello, disagree with what I've written, tell me you've tried my recipes, post some random stuff... whatever Trevor!

So there you go. With your comments my blog will become a better place. 

Happy Angus!

post supermoon monday

Whilst there is no scientific proof of full moons wreaking havoc in our societies, I swear this post supermoon Monday has been more weird than normal.

Here's why:

1. I woke at 4.40am thinking I was late for work (I never usually wake during the night unless my stupid cat is meowing at me)
2. I then woke again at 8.20am ie. my alarm didn't go off at 6.30am like it's supposed to! (this might not be weird to you, but this is the first time my alarm hasn't gone off before. I checked it and nothing seemed to be wrong, so either a) it didn't go off or b) I slept through my alarm for two hours which is weird because it's LOUD and right next to my head)
3. There was a hotdog in my front yard (um, wtf?)
4. I received notification that the three business books I've been after are now available at the Reid library ( three reasons this is weird: 1) I don't study Business, 2) I don't go to the Reid Library 3) I didn't ask for these books)
5. The elevator at work came straight away (this NEVER happens)
6. Now I'm just finding reasons to find today weird... 
7. Oooh, my workmate saw a guy peeing in his backyard and he gave it a good shaking apparently...

3) weird hotdog in my front yard

Okay, so not the most convincing list of weird stuff going on, but enough for me to need two coffees this morning because today just doesn't feel right. 

in the aftermath

I haven't really talked too much about the breakup, but in the wise words of the Gilmore Girls...

LORELAI: Well, wait. Take me through the night step by step.

RORY: Why?

LORELAI: So I can help decipher what happened here.

RORY: What happened here is we broke up. He didn’t want to be my boyfriend anymore, end of story.

LORELAI: That is so not end of story.

RORY: Yes it is.

(Season 1, episode 17 "The Breakup, Part 2)

So this blog post is not about what happened in the breakup, but rather in the aftermath of it. 

You see, it was rather sudden, and rather unexpected (although I did somehow know for that whole week beforehand that it was going to happen). And so for a few days afterwards I just had to keep reminding myself that it had happened. And once I had come to terms with it, I built up my protective barriers and instilled boundaries -  did the obligatory hair cut, removed things from my life that would remind me of him, gave away things that I had bought for him, returned some gifts to him (but not all of them, he was a rather good gift giver), changed things around so that it's not the same as when I was with him. 

Now that it's been a while, I find myself thinking of what happened less and less, to the point where this last week I've actually been thankful for being single right now; the way in which our relationship was, I don't think I would have coped with this week. 

This last week has seen three new projects come onto my plate, on top of the two major ones that already existed - Supervisor P has so much (blind?) faith in my abilities and has volunteered my time to co-ordinate important projects, most of which involve me speaking to really important people about the issues. I've gotten to work at 8am most mornings and left late most days (except Friday, we all left early to head to the pub). This might be normal for some of you, but not me; this is my first proper adult job. 

When the breakup happened, I put myself out there and reached out to people - and I have been so blessed. At church, at work, with my Book Club girls, my housemates, my family - so many people have made me feel more loved than ever before, and people I didn't really know well before have become so dear to me now. I'm saying this because this whole week I have been surrounded by people who have continually built me up, reassured me, allowed me to vent, smiled and nodded when I got excited talking about infectious diseases and they had no idea what I was saying... that's true love right there people. 

I know that whilst I haven't really explained much in this post, it's been rather cathartic typing out these words - I've come to a point where I've accepted what's happened, I am so grateful for the relationship, and now am so thankful with where I am, being single, doing two Masters degrees and still living in Perth. 

rubber ducky you're the one

As you may or may not know, I love rubber ducks...

Just some of my duck collection!

You might also know about the Giant Rubber Duck touring the world...

source

And whilst I know it's already visited Sydney, why couldn't it have stopped at Perth or Fremantle en route to Hong Kong? Now it's off to Pittsburgh!!! This sucks, because I won't be in the 'burgh until January in which I am sure it will have gone by then.

I have started a new hashtag on twitter #bringtherubberducktoWA (WA for Western Australia, NOT Washington) to campaign for the Giant Rubber Duck to come to Perth (or Fremantle, whatever suits). If you'd like to see this amazingly awesome artistic sculpture come to Perth, then join me with #bringtherubberducktoWA

This is what I imagine it could look like if we're successful...

I took this picture at Kings Park

#bringtherubberducktoWA

cupcake surprise

My beautiful friend Anna is having her first baby, but has chosen to be surprised by the sex of the child. So to celebrate the upcoming arrival, I made cupcake surprises for her baby shower. Why were they surprises? Because people didn't know what was inside!

Cupcake Surprises with Marshmallow Frosting

Cake Adapted from "Donna Hay, Modern Classics Book 2", pg 54. Frosting from Pixels and Paperie. 

Ingredients for Cakes

125g butter, softened

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups plain flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2/3 caster sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

PLUS - surprise of your choice: I chose Double Coated Tim Tams chopped in half (they're too big otherwise)

Method for Cake

1. Preheat oven to 180C
2. Place butter and sugar into bowl, beat until light and fluffy
3. Add eggs, milk and vanilla, beat again
4. Sift in flour and baking powder and beat again.
5. Spoon half a dessert spoon into patty pan
6. Add your surprise, pushing it down (but not too hard)
7. Spoon more batter, making sure the surprise is covered
8. Bake in oven for 18-22 mins until lightly brown (can't really stick a tester stick in it)
9. Cool on wire rack

Ingredients for Frosting

4 large egg whites

1 cup plain sugar

1 pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla essence

Method for Frosting

1. Heat water in saucepan until simmering
2. Place a bowl over the top, put egg whites, sugar and salt into it, and beat for 5 mins
3. Take off the heat, beat for another 3 mins
4. Pipe onto cakes! (I used a snap lock bag with the corner cut off)

SURPRISE!

I'm a big kid now

I finally started working at the Communicable Disease Control Directorate of the Department of Health.

How cool does that sound?!

The other cool thing about it is that I'm finally working somewhere I'm not allowed to wear jeans, ie a grown up job. I know that wearing office clothes will get old sooner or later, but right now it's rather exciting.

No more jeans and runners for me!

This whole idea of growing up has been a recurring theme the last few weeks in my life.

The other day Supervisor T said to me "You're an adult, you can go to the meeting on your own. It's time for you to grow up", and a gain a few days later on a different topic: "just make a decision already, that's how grown ups do it".

Gees, thanks Supervisor T. Brilliant advice. This from the man who completed his PhD before I was even born (that fact shocked me when I found out the other day!).

My colleague said to me this morning that to her I am a little girl.

Argh!

I guess there will always be people that are older than me, so I shouldn't be too shocked by those comments. But one day I'd like to be a medium-sized girl. That's all.

movin' up nothing can hold me down...

Now I've got that song stuck in your head eh? If you don't remember the awesomeness that was, I suggest you click here.

I'm slowly learning that things in the research/government world move really slowly... But when it does happen it's great and I to sing that song to myself each time.

The last few weeks have been evidence of things "movin' on up":

1. I got 82% on my Literature Review for my smaller dissertation, which is worth 30% of the project mark. The feedback was just that there were minor grammatical and formatting issues.
   

   

   I had to kill several trees when handing in this Lit Review...

2. My meeting with the Care Group that I am doing research in went really well, with my protocol being accepted by them, which means I head to the scary land of applying for ethics. 
3. I have a second placement supervisor, which means my opportunities on the field have broadened exponentially (see Figure 1).  
4. Because of point 2, I shall be working 2 days a week at the Communicable Disease Control branch of the State Health Department (DoH), which gives reason to why the number of opportunities in training becomes incredible. 
5. Because of point 3, I get to start wearing work clothes, ie not jeans. Excitement!
6. I have an opportunity to help another branch of the DoH with their surveillance data which will be really interesting and give me a chance to work on my stats capabilities. 

Figure 1. Opportunities in Field Training with 1 or 2 supervisors

"the things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed" Habbakuk 2:3 (NLT)

champagne for a celebration

So instead of giving my friend an engagement present, they asked me to make cupcakes for their party. Sweet, I can do that! So here are the recipes I used for Ashmellow's cupcakes. Enjoy!

Look, not the worlds best looking cakes, but that tasted AMAZING. Obviously I  need to work on my decorating skills.

Gluten-free Champagne Mini-Cupcakes

Recipe adapted to Australian metric from The Culinary Life. 

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cup gluten free flour mix (I used White Wings). 

• 1/4 cup almond flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1-1/2 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (I bought from a speciality store, wasn't at Coles)

• 1 cup sugar

• 2 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1/2 cup vegetable oil

• 1/2 cup champagne, freshly opened and at room temperature (Nice and sweet)

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

1. Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 180C
2. Place cupcake liners in 24 mini-cupcake tray
3. In a medium-sized bowl, sift together gluten free flour mix, almond flour, salt, baking powder and xanthan gum. 
4. In a large bowl, beat together sugar and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy
5. To sugar and egg mixture, use a spoon to gently stir in oil, champagne, and vanilla.
6. Add the dry flour ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat with an electric mixer for about one minute. It'll become really sticky. 
7. Spoon batter into cupcake cups, filling each one about 2/3 full
8. Place pan in oven Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cupcakes should be slightly golden brown on top.
9. Cool on a rack for five minute before removing cupcakes from pan. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on rack before frosting.

Champagne Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 3-1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 225g butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons champagne, at room temperature

Method

1. With an electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter. Mix until light and fluffy
2. Add vanilla and champagne, beating on medium for another minute.
3. If you want a thinner frosting, beat in more champagne one tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. If you want thicker frosting, mix in more powdered sugar one tablespoon at a time until it’s as thick as you like.

welcome

So unless you randomly stumbled here (which is cool), you've probably come across from my old blog, in which I say "hi!" and "cheers for popping on by".

There are probably a few things you might note, but the main one is my name... Miss Anni. Yep, I've revealed my name. A revelation not as important as the unmasking of Daft Punk or the Stig, but still a relief for all.

So the plan is to randomly tell you things about my work, ie the infectious part of the title, and every now and again throw in a tasty recipe from my kitchen, ie the cupcake  part of the title.

Sound good? Sweet. Y'all come back now!