Yes, It Is I…

Yes, I do still exist. Yes, I am considering making a comeback here. Yes, I do realise I have a history of returning to this blog only to vanish again in due time.

But, to be fair… I had shit to do.

I went to Europe, I went to Bluesfest, I went to America and Canada. I mean, just last month, I even had the pleasure of visiting Amber from Words Become Superfluous. Amb has become lazy busy, just like me, but her blog was extremely popular and wonderful and we actually met through the blogosphere! And then we got to meet! In Canada! And I’m from Melbourne!

Good work, internet.

Anyway, my point is mostly, that I have made some great friends here, and it would be a shame to vanish for good. So, here I am, if even sporadically.

I’ll be back in a few minutes with the song of the day. I have to think of a good one. I missed you guys! Looking forward to catching up on your blogs.

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Not my circus, not my monkeys

Welcome back folks! Or, welcome back, me? Either way, hello again. If you remember me, I love you. If you don’t, I understand. I haven’t posted in the longest time. But, it is a new year and with it brings a new me. That’s what happens, right? The switching of calendars has this odd effect of bringing you a new lease on life that is unachievable throughout the rest of the year?

Bollocks.

This isn’t the trade window (you’re welcome, sports fans). We can change anything, anytime. And I choose to change my blogging habits, for one. I swear, it’s a complete coincidence that this comes in the first month of the new year.

The second ‘change’ is not a completely sudden change, but one that I have progressed towards over the last couple of years. My new years resolution when I started this blog two years ago was to become more selfish. It was necessary for me, and now this year my new motto comes from a Polish proverb.

Nie moj cyrk, nie moje malpy.

Translated to: ‘Not my circus, not my monkeys.’

I had potential stress at work the other day. But then I remembered: not my circus, not my monkeys.

And it is handy beyond just the working life. Now my life belongs solely to me.

So, what shall I do with my OWN life? Well, I have decided to quit my job and sell most of my things (my music collection will remain forever mine) and head around the world, working as I go. Yep, I’m going on an epic adventure! And, indefinitely. Whatever may happen, shall happen. I have no ties, expectations, or plans. Just the world and me. I may return in tatters begging for my old job in six weeks, or six decades, I just don’t know, and that’s part of the beauty of it. But for now, I shall endeavour to return to the blogging life, for I really miss it, and even moreso, the community.

So, buckle in, get ready for some love and laughter and plenty of me, and if all goes well, a seriously daunting adventure worth strapping in for.

P.S. Looking forward to catching up with you all now I’m back!

Turning 30 In Style

The last post I made here was when I returned from my trip to Byron Bay Bluesfest at the end of April. So, guess what the occasion is this time?

I’m going to Mares Vivas music festival in Portugal next week!

That’s right friends, I’m a total nomad this year. Why? Well, because I can be, of course!

I mean, my lecturers aren’t as deliriously happy about it as I am, but they’ll live… and I’ll live happier.

Admittedly, there is a partial occasion for the trip. I turn 30 this month. And if I’m going to ‘grow old’, I’m sure not going to do it in Melbourne. I’m going to do it on the other side of the World. In the sunshine. With fine food, wine and music.

If you’re wondering what made me pick Mares Vivas, I’ll tell you. If you aren’t wondering that, I guess you’re about to get a clean version of TMI (Too Much Information).

It started as a daydream. A whimsical flick through the pages of the internet. I wondered to myself, “Where is Joss Stone touring the rest of this year? She said at Byron she was doing a World tour. Where does that entail?”

The first place I found was Switzerland. Her show in Switzerland was sold out.

The second place I found was at Mares Vivas music festival, on the banks of the Douro river in Porto, Portugal. The interwebz told me the festival was three days, the 17th – 19th of July. Perfect timing, since my birthday is on the 22nd. The Prodigy were set to headline day one, and Portishead and Joss Stone were headlining day three. Well then, that sounds pretty dreamy. Maybe I’ll have a cheeky glance at the price of flights.

Cool, they seem legit; maybe I could get away with just under a week there.

A week later (last week) and I’m sitting in the travel agency booking a two-week deal through Portugal and France with the lovely girl at the desk who is just too hard to say no to.

And this Monday I fly out. Porto for a week, Marseilles for my birthday (when I’m seeing Herbie Hancock in concert) and then a train up to Paris for the last 5 days. Brilliant.

Bring on the sun… and Joss Stone.

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.

Moving Off The Grid

I mentioned earlier, we have to move house.

I am currently renting with a friend. It’s been awesome living together. We’re the best of mates. It is the end of an era. An era that has spanned some five years.

But, they’re selling the house we’re in.

Now, he’s moving in with his girlfriend.

Gah, bloody girlfriends! Who needs them? What a nuisance.

So, I am heading out into the big, wide World alone. Uh-oh! It’s scary. It really is.

I found an option. What do you guys think? Reckon I could get internet access out there?

My Weekend Schedule

Oh my, I have a busy weekend ahead.

Friday night will consist of reffing some junior indoor soccer. I love that. They are great kids. Last week they all told me I was the best ref ever. So, naturally, that makes them my best friends.

After the reffing gig, I am heading off to a Christmas party run by a friend. Well, a friend and her housemates. I think it’s a big one. I’m just tagging along. I like Christmas; I like friends; I like festivities; why not party for the sake of them all?

Saturday I am spending for lunch at my dad’s house. My brother and his girlfriend are going too, so that’s good. She hasn’t met our dad yet, so I’m helping with moral support. I don’t see dad an awful lot. There’s mixed feelings there. I’m in a good mood tonight though, so I won’t share them.

Sunday is a ‘Welcome Home’ party for a friend who has been studying in the USA for the last couple years. He’s returned! It will be great to catch up and party in his honour.

So, yeah, a reasonably busy weekend awaits. And all the while, I have to apply for gigs and find a new house. We’re getting turfed out of ours, because they’re selling the joint. As if the Christmas holidays weren’t hectic enough already!!

Intuition vs Logic

I had a blank. So, I searched for Blog Prompts. I found an ‘idea bank’. I liked it. There are over 600 topic ideas. That’s ridiculous. I don’t need that many. But I did like this one…

‘Review your own blog’

I’m totally kidding. I hated that one. That one smells of smug pretentiousness.

Okay, here’s my review (apparently by my inner child (he’s 13)):

This blog is boring. Needs more pictures and boobies. -1/10

Okay, how about this one?

If you were soap on a rope whose shower would you be in?

That’s pretty creepy. Next…

And then a weird thing happened. Well, it’s not that weird. Thinking long enough is going to dislodge the mind-block at some point and the thinking juices are going to flow.

I thought of something to write about. Something that was sparked from conversation tonight. So, it really shouldn’t have been that difficult to come up with as a blog topic. This took far too long.

I was sitting beside the court at soccer tonight, talking with my close friend, Aaron. Best bloke in the World. That’s a fact. You’ll find that in any Encyclopedia worth its salt.

Anyway, I forget how, but someone we know there came into conversation. I won’t say who. Odds are good my friends don’t read this crap (my blog), but you never know. And I, being ever open and far too honest, admitted, “I don’t like that guy. He’s not a good guy.”

Aaron accepted my position, but suggested he can’t be that bad. He has no reason to dislike him.

And that was when I tried to explain something. And this is not limited to judging someone’s character. This is meant generally in the use of all facets of life.

Reason and logic are governed by your mind. And assessing anything based on the rhythm of the mind is okay, but I had no reason to dislike him either. And I explained, it does not have to come down to reason. I see something in him, with my intuition, that I know I don’t like, and I don’t trust. But I feel my intuition is pretty well honed. The mind operates with logic, but our intuition can see beyond. Our head and our gut operate on different wavelengths. Reason will see things our intuition will not, and our intuition will pick up on things reason cannot.

The trick is to be able to hone and make use of both our head (logic/reasoning) and our intuition.

He called me a hippie and laughed. But he kind of knew what I meant. Or at least he knows I have that access to intuition. But I find it interesting that intuition as I know it does not seem to be a universal thing common to everybody else. Or at least not everyone is aware of it/its uses.

That isn’t something I realised tonight. Just something I was reminded of. And Aaron is absolutely a very aware person. I’m not saying he’s wrong, either. By all accounts, reason and logic would not dispute this other guy’s character or moral compass. But, somehow, I know different. And it isn’t deduced from reason.

Do you relate to this? Or did you just laugh and call me a hippie as well? Haha, I’m fine with either response.

Self-Indulgence Is Underrated

Well that was the most self-indulgent meal I’ve ever cooked for myself. I think.

I do go through waves of really valuing and hence acting on feelings of indulgence. I am feeling particularly self-indulgent tonight.

I sit here now with what I just prepared: Steak with avocado, garlic prawns, and a side of pasta salad with a glass of wine. And it didn’t take as long as I thought it would.

Maybe I did it wrong.

Tastes like I did it right.

Nice work, surf and turf. It’s almost as much fun to say as it is to eat. “Surf and turf”.

How do you like to indulge?