‘Me’ Music – Soulful Selection

I wanted to share some music. Well, I want to keep sharing music. And I realized I have not made a music post in the last month. Really, there’s is more than enough good music around, and even in my collection alone, to be able to share with you most days. Once a month is horrific. I do apologize. So, without further ado, I present to you tonight’s selection:

Fat Freddy’s Drop – “Clean The House”

I saw Fat Freddy’s Drop, a New Zealand group, live a couple years ago. They are amazing. Absolutely spectacular live. I’m also more and more impressed each time they release something new.

Electric Empire – “Changin’”

I saw Electric Empire live a couple years ago as well. Another great live band. I didn’t actually know them before that. They were opening for someone else. What a pleasant surprise. I own everything they do and always will. Love them.

Lee Fields & The Expressions – “You’re The Kind Of Girl”

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears  – “Livin’ In The Jungle”

Charles Bradley And The Menahan Street Band – “The World (Is Going Up In Flames)”

Alabama Shakes – “Hold On”

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The Year That Was

Okay, so it seems every man and his dog has done a blog post recap of their year that was 2013. As a bonafide nonconformist, I decided I was not going to do the same. That was until I read slapthesunshine’s Rewind of the Past Year. Her post was magnificent. And very inspiring. Makes me want to get my ass in gear this year. She did SO much traveling and experiencing of everything life has to offer. I was completely inspired to do my own recap. See what I managed to experience and accomplish for myself this year.

Oh, and as if her post wasn’t already dreamy enough, about halfway down she had even included a little GIF of Sophia Bush. I could not help but fall in love with everything presented on that page after that, so now here we are. My recap is happening.

Honestly 2013 was pretty wicked to me.

There were ups and downs, but it would be weird if there weren’t. Most of it was positives though.

The down that comes to mind was my relationship breakup in May. That’s never a heaping of fun. But I’ll tell you what, I have learned a lot from it and essentially it enabled me to rediscover who I am and what I’m supposed to be doing with this life. So that was important, it turns out. And sadly that was never going to happen being where I was.

Too right, Sophia.

But that was what kinda kicked me into gear and had me decide to take a leap at that pipe dream.

So I tore up my teaching registration just like that and applied for mid-year intake into that Professional Writing and Editing course. I got in. And so far I have loved it.

That was probably the biggest thing that happened this year for me. I began my third degree. Let’s hope this is it now. Let’s hope I don’t need a fourth. Let’s hope I can make a living once this one’s obtained. A living I want to make.

What else did I do? Oh, I went on a boy’s trip to Sydney for a week. That was in October. See, everything good happened in the second half of the year. And that trip had a thousand experiences within it.

I think I only attended one gig this year. Damn, I need to start getting some funds together. I refuse to do that little gigging again in any of the rest of my years. I saw Cosmo Jarvis this year. And that was because one of my brothers organised it. That was a cool gig. Good fun. Wait… was Aloe Blacc this year? Or last year? There’s something wrong with my memory. Well, maybe two gigs this year. I can’t quite work that one out. May have been last year though. Don’t lock it in.

Oh, I got to see my Chicago Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup! That was awesome. That was in June, is that first half or second? Maybe that was the turning point. I’m a big fan. Possibly the biggest in the Southern Hemisphere. Surely not that big a thing to claim. Nah, not at all. So I was proper ecstatic.

Also hockey related, I attended the USA/Canada ice hockey exhibition match here in Melbourne. It was okay. A bit gimmicky. Or so I thought. Still a great night though, and we hit up the Casino afterwards. Long night from what I remember. And I think I have a photo with Cookie Monster playing the bagpipes. Yeah, that happened.

Okay, so couldn’t find bagpiping Cookie Monster, but here’s us with guitarist Mario!

I also visited the zoo and almost stole adopted a baby lemur.

 

And now I’m just drawing a whole heap of blanks. I studied, played a lot of indoor soccer, reffed a lot of indoor soccer, had a lot of BBQ’s and generally a very sociable year which was great, plenty of great nights out, lots of good nights in, a ton of sweet trips to the beach-house and made some wonderful blogging buddies right here. Thanks to all of you for a magnificent year, and let’s all have a great one again this year! Booyah!

Grandma’s Christmas Present Trumps All The Presents Ever

Okay, that second announcement!

I AM GOING TO BYRON BAY BLUESFEST 2014!!

I didn’t leave the Caps lock on there. I was shouting. I’m excited. I’m pumped. I cannot wait. I have a very small bucket list. This is on it. And this is the year to go, because Dave Matthews Band are playing on the Saturday AND Monday! And I have tickets to see their show before the Festival, so I get to see DMB 3 times in 5 days!!! I see Dave and co. Thursday April 17, fly up the coast on Friday, and spend my time at the festival on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Then fly back Tuesday.

If you remember, I posted about needing to sell a kidney to do this.

I can’t believe I’m going!! Woooo!! And I still have all my organs. No selling was necessary. It’s interesting how timing works on these things. I think maybe someone has been watching out for me. So, a massive shout-out to my dearest Grandma Joan, who passed not so long ago, (at the ripe old age of 92) and whose generous inclusion of myself in her inheritance is what has enabled me to do this.

I’ll be dancing up a storm and doing so in your honour, Grandma. And I know you’ll love it. Love you always!

Can I Have A Holiday Holiday Now?

That isn’t a typo up there in the title. I need a holiday from the Holidays.

I did quite some tripping about over the Holiday period. I made two trips to my grandparents’ house in the countryside. Visited my uncle out that way down the coast as well. That was all fantastic. I had Christmas with family and ate and drank far too much. But that’s okay because that’s the idea. I spent a week at the beach house after that. That was relaxing. I swam on the 30+ Celsius days and wrote on the evenings on the cooler days. I started my novel while down there. That was one of my New Years resolutions. I don’t usually make physical resolutions. Usually it’s something a bit philosophical. This year I made one of each. The physical one was “to write” (and finish!) my first novel. And the philosophical one was “to explore“.

I have already begun both. So, “yay”, “go me”, and all that.

I have two announcements!

The first is called Tessa.

Tess was rescued from the animal aid dog shelter that’s out in the sticks towards where my grandparents live. She’s mum’s dog, but I helped find her and sat in the back of the car patting her and helping her feel at ease for the 3 hour drive home with us randoms… so I’m attached. Apparently she is too. I’m told she laid down at the front gate waiting for me to come back after I left mum’s house that evening. She’s a cutie. We don’t know what breed though. The people at the shelter thought she was a Toy Keeshond cross. We’re still guessing.

The second announcement is coming up in a second post. It deserves its own…

So for now, I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all! May 2014 treat you all spectacularly.