i've spent the last week glued to the internet looking at photos of the flooding in queensland. what's been surprising for me is the amount of media coverage the floods have gotten over here. although i guess it's not so surprising given the number of people that have told me about relatives/friends they have over there.

all the flooding does help to put ones own weather into perspective, and it has made me somewhat reluctant to complain about the rainy weather here. not completely mind! i am finding myself becoming somewhat acclimatised. jeff almost laughed himself silly the other week when i commented on how warm it was at 4 degrees! before you know it i'll be like one of the local geordie lass's, heading out for a night of binge drinking and misbehaviour, dressed only in my shortest dress and my tallest high heels!

goerdie lass's are something of a phenomenon in england, known far and wide for their tolerance of the cold. i kid you not, i have seen girls at the bus stop waiting to head into town in mini dresses and no coat when it was minus 3 or 4 outside!

here's a random pic from the net that'll give you some idea of what i'm talking about.

yes, i know one girl is wearing a coat, but i'd like to draw your attention to the snow on the ground. and the length of the blond girls skirt!

the newcastle centre for life, which is an organisation that researches life and how it works (their words, not mine) have apparently undertaken a study in the past to see why geordie girls are more tolerant of the cold than their southern counterparts! they think it might have something to do with how thick skinned they are!

and they amount of fat they eat too. I mean, after all, anywhere that classifies a baked potato with beans and cheese as a healthy lunch is probably going to be chucking down the starchy, fatty treats with wild abandon!