30th October 2009

I'm in sunny Broome. I've been wanting to blog for a few days, but the website is blocked on the system at work and the only internet available at the resort is in the pool area. Which is where I'm sitting now.

I don't really have anything exciteing to say. I just felt like diarising again.

I've been here for three weeks. Work is good. Weather is warm. I'm eating well and exercising nearly every day.....AND I'm not drinking. Hi, I'm Jane and I've been sober for 21 days.

So, I'm being super healthy.

I'm missing everyone more than I did last year when I was here. I'm not really sure why that is. I miss Court a WHOLE lot. But I also miss my family and my friends. I have acquaintances up here and an aunt, but I really miss having people around who know me well. Do you know what has surprised me the most with the whole 'missing people' thing? I really miss the girls at Shents. Last year, I liked the idea of being the only one in the school who did my job - I felt like more of an expert in my field. This time around I REALLY miss the morning and afternoon chats and the 'debriefing'. I love being able to vent to people who understand my work.

I’m much less socially active up here. I think it is probably a good thing. We go out so much in Perth and some weeks I barely have time to scratch myself. Here, I may have one or two social outings a week, and that’s a busy one. It feels good to take the time to unwind. Tonight I’m going to a barbie at a friend’s place and tomorrow night I’m going for an early dinner and then to see some local theatre with Kirsty…..look out, weekend, here I come…

As a result of having less people to entertain me, I’ve been writing lists and trying to organize some things. Christmas, for one. I’ve written a list of people we have to buy presents for. I just need to think of what to get them, and then I’ll write that down too. My sister and I have also decided to hold a Girls’ Night In in February, so I’ve started taking down ideas for that. I have quite a few so far.

I think I’m focusing more on aspects of my life. I mean, I’ve only been here three weeks, but I’m thinking more about myself as a person and the sort of person I want to be.

I’m terrible at saving money. I know it. My mum knows it. Court knows it. We talked about it the other day and now I’m really making an effort to hold on to it. I only got paid yesterday, but if I can stop being so spendy, I might have some cash to show for it at the end of the fortnight. To help myself, I’ve made a little poster and stuck it on the fridge. It says: All you need is love. So every time I feel the need to buy something, I can look at it and realize that I have everything I need. Basically, I need to stop being so materialistic.

As well as trying to save, I’m also thinking about what sort of work I might like to do when I’m finished with interpreting. I have a rough idea of something, but it isn’t really its own job (I don’t think) and it sure wouldn’t pay much. I like the idea of working backstage in a theatre. So maybe ‘backstage crew’ is what I’m after? I don’t know. I like the idea of organizing stuff on the night of a performance and making sure everything and everyone are in their places. But I don’t want to be as responsible as a stage manager….more of a general helper…..I’ll have a bit more of a think…

Last Perth post until Christmas.

This will probably be my last ramble before I hit the offensively sunny Broome next weekend. I'm looking forward to the change of scenery in terms of work, but I'm going to miss everyone so much - especially Court.

I braved Whitfords yesterday to get some summer work fashions....yes, I'm even fashion forward at work...ha! I'm really not. Anyway, I slipped my pasty legs and feet into some shorts and sandals and walked out having saved $55. Which I then promptly spent on dinner last night at 2am in Northbridge.

There's something about late night Chinese in the stinkiest suburb with your best friends. I love it. I also loved the free lychees and orange wedges we got for dessert once the staff recognised Court.

So.....this weekend will be full of cleaning my best friends' new house in preparation for fresh paint and carpet. Court and Sharn will be Telethoning it in all weekend, so Kes and I will do girly things like scrub walls with sugar soap.

And the whole weekend I'll try not to spend any money.....yeahhh....

My Shop.

I want to own my own shop. I will sell secondhand things. Clothes, books, household items and maybe I'll make my own cards and sell them too.

There'll be a little garden out the back with a table and chairs where I can eat my lunch. My friends and family can drop by for a cup of tea and we'll chat while customers are browsing.

I'll have complimentary tea and Court's choc chip cookies for weary shoppers, which they can enjoy in the garden. In the summertime I will serve iced tea.

I'll play whatever music I like inside and I'll wear whatever I feel like wearing. I might have themed dress up days to make it more interesting.

My wares won't be overpriced. People will look at the prices and say, "Goodness me! Buying secondhand is a great thing!".

I'll need a good name and location for my shop. Maybe I'll call it 'Hot Tamale', after my favourite nail polish. And location? I'm not sure yet. Somewhere nice, but not too bustling.

I found some of our wedding photos!

Three of my favourite photos from 7th October 2005

I can't find no photos, y'all.

The time between these posts is going to keep lengthening, I'm thinking. But I guess if I write whenever I feel like it, then that's enough. I've just made a fresh coffee and it's 8.20 on a grey Sunday morn.....I'm ready to get my typing fingers on.

It's been a busy few weeks. That's kind of a dumb way to start, because when is it not busy? Anyway, the end of term at the end of this week will bring two glorious weeks of sleeping in and pottering around the garden. We're hoping to head down to Yalls for a few days in the first week. The second week will be hanging at home with family and friends before I head off to sunny Broome for ten weeks.

Yes.........back to Broome. Things I'm looking forward to: the weather, seeing my friends up there, the job and saving money. Things I'm a whole lot less keen on: spending 10 weeks away from Court, missing his 30th, missing my Perth buddies and missing my favourite ladies at Shents.

So it's gonna be interesting. It always takes me a week or two to settle back into living alone. I have grand plans for becoming very well read and saving lots of money in term 4. We'll see how that pans out. The money thing worries me, because Christmas is always a blow-out. It doesn't matter how good my intentions are - I always seem to spend too much. I would love to have Christmas as an intangible-gift-giving day. Give laughter, hope, love and if you have to give something more tangible, then maybe a home-cooked meal or a bottle of your favourite wine to share. That would be my ideal Christmas. Ten year old me would fucking hate the idea.....

And now for something completely different: I can't wait for the Beyonce concert this week. I can finally let my inner black run free with lots of, "girl", "mm-hmm", "oh nigga please" and "true dat". I might also throw in a "no shame" or two to give it more of an Australian feel. I'm going with Kate and Kes and we've got a strict hoochie mama dress code. At the very least, bling must be present. I love the idea of cocktails and food pre-show, but money is tight so it might have to be a beer and Vegemite sandwich before we leave home.

I was going to end this post with a nice photo, but I can't find any. So this is my super smooth sign off.

Lady looks like a dude.

I look like a dude this morning. My fringe is pushed back and it gives me a harsh mullet look. Lucky Court is still asleep or I think he would be grabbing the divorce papers out of his bag and smoothing the crinkles out. The only time he would accept me in dude-like form is if I looked like Paul McCartney or Gavin Miller. I look like neither of these fine gentlemen today.

I'm not too fussed. I plan on spending the day in the garden, pulling out monster weeds. I don't need to look pretty for that. I'm saving my pretty up for Pauley and Zabrina's wedding tomorrow. I love weddings - not just for the food and drink, although that does get me quite excited. I love how everyone is so happy and how proud the parents of the couple are. I love sharing in what will probably be in the top ten best days ever had by the couple.

I'm such a girl. Although I don't look like one right now.

Things that happened this week.

It's been a while (Chad Kroeger style) since I blogged. I lose track of time and then I'll wake up one sunny Saturday morn and decide it's a good time to do it because the house is still asleep. By the way, 'the house' isn't a nickname for Court - I just mean that all is quiet.

Here's what happened this week:

1. Bleu's 'A Watched Pot' FINALLY arrived. Well, it arrived last week, but I had a good long listen to it on my travels to and from work this week. Hoo boy. It's a keeper. I love it more every time I listen to it. The attention to detail really is incredible and I keep hearing new bits.

2. My new positive zen-like hippy attitude FINALLY arrived. I've been telling myself in the car each morning that I will spread the love, be the love, receive the love and be positive to everyone I see. It's sort of working. Maybe I shouldn't say 'receive the love' though, because it sounds pretty gay.

3. My MJ t-shirt FINALLY arrived. It's every bit as beautiful as I imagined.....and also too big. So I gave it to Kes and it fits her perfectly. See? Spreading the love already. I ordered a new MJ t-shirt from Threadless, where I know what size I am.

4. Court gave me two (2!) Aerosmith t-shirts in return for me promising to clean up my side of the bedroom this weekend. It's too hard to resist a bribe of that stature, so I'll be Sadie-ing up my side today and tomorrow.

5. Herbie the tigerkittenkat passed away. Very sad.

6. John Hughes the super writer/director of my favourite films in high school - even though I wasn't in high school in the 80s - passed away. I still wish 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' was real life and I lived there.

7. Court and I went to The George last night and bumped into Pauly. Or is it Pauley? I don't know how to spell it. I could just say Paul, but it sounds too formal and I'm saving that for his wedding day on the 30th. It was great to see him and catch up on what's happening. He is the loveliest person and I'm excited that I get to see him and Zabrina get hitched.

8. I bought tickets to Gomez. It'll be at the Fly By Night (one of my favourite venues - everyone is so friendly there) and we're going with Kieran and Jill.

And that concludes my week o' thingz.