This one's for Michael!!

So, I've spent the last three days being a hermit! Basically all I do is eat, work and hole myself up in my room and watch Long Way Round, and now that that's finished, Long Way Down! It's nuts! These shows have made me really want to go travelling NOW! I've decided to try and go to Ukraine next year (note to self: ask Natalia to take me) and although I've never been particularly interested in Southern Italy due to my nan's indifference-bordering-on-contempt of southern Italians, I now want to go to Palermo and Sicily!

Gotta get my ass into gear!

*exclamation points courtesy of Michael and Matthew Reilly's amazing writing abilities!

Interrupted

So I went down to Sydney yesterday morning to see my nan. God, I love her so much. I picked her up and we slowly made our way around the shopping centre, trying to find some homewares for Jonas' new appartment. She was absolutely adorable and wanted to pay for everything, but I wouldn't let her, although she did manage to buy me a pair of slippers. I took her for yum cha for lunch. Sooooo delicious, but I forgot that she wouldn't be a fan. She likes knives and forks, and large plates. She liked the food, but wasn't suited to the yum cha-iness of it all.

Then I went home to her place and stayed there for a bit until Daniel came home, then I high-tailed it to Rouse Hill shops to hang out at Borders and wait for Rach to finish work. I'm such a sucker, and one of those mineral makeup people managed to get me to sit down while they showed me how natural and beautiful their makeup was on me. I'm kind of shocked at myself, because for the first time ever I told the girl what I actually thought: the makeup looked caked onto my skin and so unnatural that it was a bit embarrassing. Then I felt bad and said how much I liked the blush. So I went to buy it - because that's what I do when someone gives me a free makeover: spend all my money on shitty products - and it was $50!!! I was like, erm, no. I don't even pay that much for my Estee Lauder blush. And I don't buy that stuff at some random stall in a shopping centre. And shockingly, I told her that I couldn't justify paying that much for blush, saying I wouldn't pay more than $30, and she said she couldn't go lower than $40, so we parted ways.

I'm shocked at my audacity! I said the truth to a stranger trying to sell me something, and managed to get away with my money and a somewhat bad makeover!!!

I'm going to use this new-found ability in the next election when I discover the way to dodge the pamphlet people!

Meanwhile, I went to Rachel's and we had a wonderful night of movies-so-lame-they're-amazing whilst watching Goal 2 and St. Trinian's. It would have been an awesome two days but yesterday I got asked to come into work, and seeing as next week I have 13 hours, I couldn't say no to the money, so I had to leave Rachel's house at 7:30 after barely any sleep and go to work. I had all these awesome plans to do bingo with my nan, and of course after I told her I had to go to work my cousin Maria calls to let nan know she's coming down to spend the day with her. Grrr. I really like her and it would have been fun to do bingo and lunch. Oh well, next time.

Oh, and I would have almost been able to cross off "Swam with dolphins" from my list but Saturday was such a bad day. We went on a dolphin watching cruise, and it was so exciting cos I got to see the dolphins in the water, but the funniest part was when we were heading back to shore because of the galey wind and the boat rocked so bad that Rachel and I, much to the amusement of Nicole and Angela, completely lost balance and started being pitched about, culminating in me hitting my cheek on the metal seat. I was worried it would bruise and I'd have another thing to complete my battered-wife look, but it's just really red. It was so funny though!!!

So sick.

Drank too much.

I was going to go to a movie but the hangover kicked in late. Was perfectly fine upon waking, but about 4pm it hit me.

Meanwhile, Nan tells me today she loved how happy I was when I called her last night. I had to inform her that when I called I was so freaking drunk. It was 8pm, how embarrassing! So now she doesn't think it's such a good thing if I'm so happy...

Hurrah for the Weekend!

So tonight I'm off to Fingal Bay for the weekend.

Yay. An entire weekend with Emma's stank boyfriend. Yay.

Anywhore, I hate packing for a weekend away because there are so many variables: will it rain? Will it be hot? Will it be hot in the day but cold at night? Will it be cold in the day but hot at night? Will we go out somewhere nice? Too many.

So I've basically packed two pyjama bottoms, two dresses, a pair of jeans, two tops, a skirt, a jacket, a cardigan and then the usual extras. Oh, and two pairs of shoes not including the ones I'll be wearing there.

Yep. It better be good. If all else fails I'm just going to sit on the beach and read.

Am I bovered???

This is one of those "what have you done" copy+paste jobs. The things I've done are in bold.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said "I love you" and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped and I doubt I will...
11. Visited Paris next year, fingers crossed
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa next year???
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables (when I was little we grew pumpkins and cherry tomatoes...)
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne (too many times...)
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster (I miss Wonderland. The Demon was my bitch!)
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and didn't care who was looking (that's called a Friday night)
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states (I've only visited... 10)
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched whales (I think I'm doing this on the weekend...)
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe (Next year hopefully...)
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing (does indoor count? It does now.)
49. Taken a midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland (next year? but probably won't get a chance...)
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero (pretend? I call it LIFE.)
58. Sung karaoke (again, it's called LIFE.)
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theatre
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites (hopefully next year!)
70. Taken a martial arts class (erm... I've watched a lot of other people's martial arts classes... does that count?)
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice (please, next year, PLEASE! And with a cute boy, please!)
80. Gotten a tattoo (never have, never will. As Nonno always said, once they're there, you're too easily identifiable to the police.)
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on a television news program as an "expert"
83. Gotten flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents (I consider Nonno to be my father...)
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently (I speak a few different ones, but not fluently. One day...)
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (I raised two kids for a year. Done.)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
98. Passed out cold
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country (I've caught a bicycle-taxi in the Philippines, but that's it.)
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge (didn't walk it... I just stood in front and smiled for the camera...)
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a TV game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on a photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse (eeewwww....... too many times.)
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for 30 hours in a 48 hour period
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. States
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school (I've gone back to uni - and when I'm a teacher I'll be going back to school....)
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach (not by choice!)
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one "important" author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

Doobeedoo

So I forgot to mention that on Sunday we all went to Avalon to scatter Nonno's ashes. It was really lovely. We had to leave at the ridiculous time of 8:30am and after a few stops we got there at 9:30. Then we went onto my cousin's boat which wasn't that scary one he has that goes really fast, and this one just putt-putted and chugged along until we got past Palm Beach and out into what we could legitimately call "open water". Then Uncle Dino asked if anyone wanted to say a few words, no one had any, so Uncle Dino said something nice and then it was done.

Now, I'm just saying, but there was a lot of Nonno. The wind even blew some onto the arm of my jacket. Ewwwwwwwwwwww.

Yep, Hell it is.

It was such an anti-climax. I'd built it up for so long that when it was finally done it was like, oh, that's it then? I didn't cry, I didn't even feel like we'd put him at rest or anything. In the end it was just a nice day on the water with my family.

And what would a day with my family be complete without someone commenting on the whiteness of my legs? "Geez, Sarah, lucky I brought my sunnies to shield off the glare." And on Friday night when I got home my grandma looks at me and is all, "Wow, that is some Irish skin." My family is so lovely.

Oh, random note, Cassie just posted a bunch of photos of her and Daniel in what look to be studio portrait shots, you know, the ones where they give you good lighting and do your hair and makeup.

Do people really go get couples glamour photos? I'm so embarrassed on their behalf. LAME.

I'm going to the ballet with Jenni! How cultured of me! I'm actually very excited.

In other news, exam this morning. I was thinking of getting special consideration on account of how bloody sick I was when I woke up this morning (I think I might have tonsilitis... who can say?) but cannot be arsed. You have to fill out a form, you have to go to the doctor, you have to hand in the medical cert, you have to resit the exam... plus, it's not like I'm the type that would actually do some study for the resit. That's not how I roll.

But it really hurts to be awake.

Jealous, much?

So I finally went to get a new licence this morning, after Daniel informs me that, not only is there a $400 minimum fine for driving with an expired licence, it's actually an offense. He tells me this when I've woken up at 11am and the RTA closes at 12. Great. Brushed my teeth, threw on yesterday's clothes and just threw my hair up: photo be damned!! I only got a 1 year licence because, first, no money, and second, I knew the photo would be hideous, and there was no way I was carrying that around for the next 5 years! Anyway, photo not so great, but much better than last year's, although, considering the hideousness of last years, that was going to be easy to accomplish anyway.

The jealous part of the title comes from the fact that two people I know have just bought a house or land. Last night, Angela tells me she and her fiance are just about to put the deposit down on some land in some random suburb I've never heard of. Apparently it's out near Penrith, which is where Ben, her fiance, is teaching. Then last night I get home and my grandma tells me that Jonas has just bought a new appartment in Meadowbank.

And Sarah can barely afford her rent.

Now, I know I've made some random life choices since finishing highschool. I've had a lot of fun too though, but I'm still paying that off, and probably will be. It's funny when I think about how much people my age have achieved, and I know that I won't even be able to even think of those things until I've finished uni. And yet, I still do things that I know will only delay my ever being a grown up and owning property, like going overseas next year.

Yeah, anyway, it's just times like these that I question myself.

I've got that 21st tonight. Bloody hell. I told Rach last night that we'd have one of our lame-but-brilliant movie nights tonight but I'd forgotten about the party. I'd so prefer the movie night. At least Jonas and Dan are going. And not Cassie. Yep, still holding a grudge.

Oh, and my mum bought my little sister a PS3. Grr grr grr. And mum calls me to let me know that while she was overseas she lost a really expensive watch and her travel insurance is paying for a new one and she's giving it to me. But I'm not allowed to pawn it or sell it on ebay. What am I supposed to do with a $2000 watch? Why would she even BUY a $2000 watch in the first place? I'm pretty sure my $70 Pierre Cardin watch from 5 years ago tells the time just as well as an expensive Rado watch does. And how can I wear something so expensive? I'd be so afraid of breaking it, or scratching it, or losing it, or having it stolen.......................... My mum doesn't really think things through.

on another note...

... what is with these headaches I've been getting lately??

OW.

Seriously, it's really bad. Like, one a day. I'm not a very big fan. I've used up a packet of panadol in the last couple of weeks, and meanwhile, I used to go YEARS between taking any headache/pain medication.

I'm wondering if they're tension headaches, but what would cause them? The first and last time I had tension headaches that lasted days on end it was because my parents had just split up. (I'm still not entirely convinced that the separation was the actual cause. That's just what the doctor decided it was. I thought I was fine with the whole thing.)

Err, Inappropriate Much?!

So I figure if your biggest worry on any given day is whether to pluck your eyebrows or let them thicken out a little, life's pretty OK.

But I wouldn't be me if I didn't whinge a little, right?

Nadia's stepfather is here at the moment to help her move out, and I met him last night for the first time. Just one of those, "Hi. How are you?" meetings.

So am I wrong to think that the second time we speak, conversation should still be kept to common pleasantries? I don't think it's very smart to say to the girl who got up early to go to the store to buy the Sydney Morning Herald (which I couldn't get from the supermarket so I had to wait around until the newsagency opened.... shouldn't they be open early? anyway...) so she could relive yesterday's Obama victory, "So, he's still alive, eh? Not for much longer."

What the FUCK.

It really disgusts me when people talk about Obama being assassinated because he's black. Erm, Lincoln? Kennedy? McKinley? Garfield? All white. (although, the cat was orange and black...)

And how are people able to say it so nonchalantly when the man has two little children?? That shit just isn't funny.

And you're telling me that with George W, one of the most hated men for the last eight years, still kicking around, that it would be easy to kill the president. Although, it does seem that any agent advocating change makes people do anything to stop them (Kennedy bros., MLK etc.).

Yeah, I wasn't very happy with Nadia's stepfather. I kind of get "redneck" vibes from him.

So meanwhile, yesterday was fantastic. I think it's wonderful how far the Civil Rights movement has come in the last fifty years. And on a non-racial note, I just think that having someone so young, cool and calm brings a freshness and vitality into an office that has become so stagnant in the last few years. I wished I could have been in Grant Park. The atmosphere seemed absolutely amazing, his speech was absolutely fantastic (someone went to the MLK school of speech-making), and Oprah was there..... (oh come one, someone knew I'd throw that one in there!)

McCain's speech was very good, but I was so angry at people booing Obama. Not on.

On a more frivolous note, I still really want that bag, but I'll see how much money I have left after buying my raceday outfit. And the shoes I want. Grrr. Stupid money. At least I'll be getting something these holidays, and it'll be cash-in-hand so it won't effect my tax and centerlink payments. Oooh yeah.

Bad Day

OK. Story got done last night. I think I'm going to stick with the title of "La Vie Boheme". It's cheesey, but I can't think of anything else. Still haven't done the book review, but I have a few hours after my exam today. Speaking of the exam, I'm going to be shit, but whatever. I got up early to study a bit for it and the lack of sleep from the last few days means there's some hardcore luggage under my eyes and my face looks like ASS.

But this made me giggle:



Don't you think Sarah Palin is the cutest?

Haven't we had this conversation already????

DON'T FUCKING WAKE ME UP.

That's all. I'm pretty sure it makes sense. If I've been up late doing shit, DON'T FUCKING WAKE ME UP.

Nadia. Why do you have to eat breakfast outside my bedroom? Actually, no, that's fine. That doesn't wake me up. The part that wakes me up EVERY SINGLE DAY is when she's nearly done with her bowl of cereal and for some unknown reason needs to clink clink CLINK her spoon against her plate to get those last little scraps. It's the exact pitch that penetrates sleep, and she does it EVERY MORNING.

And of course today is my one day off work. Plus I'm stressed out with uni stuff. Normally when she wakes me up (it's at least once or twice a week) she doesn't get hit with my anger cos I normally just knock on Shuba's door and whinge. Today I did that too, but then Nadia came into the kitchen and was like, "Good Morning!" and I was like, no. I told her that the plate clanking was waking us up every morning and she said she'd work on it. She said she eats in the sunroom because it's the nicest part of the house, and I told her that's fine, just not to clink the plates. She asked if it was the chair scraping on the ground and her making the breakfast and all that. Nope, just the fucking plate clanging. I had planned not to say anything at all, cos in my mind I keep thinking, "One week to go, you can do this!" but unfortunately when she came into the kitchen she caught me off-guard, and I'd been awake for a solid 5 minutes, so I was cranky.

Actually, I'm proud for the restraint I used: no swearing, no yelling, no anger, even a couple of smiles.

I'm so fake.

BOO!

Happy Halloween y'all! It's a day late, but seeing as yesterday I was lying in the dark all day with the headache from hell, this is how it is.



Plus, I could only be bothered today to hook up my CD-Rom thingo and put up my pumpkin carving pics from the US!

This is the pumpkin in the beginning:

This was my pumpkin after - I named him Horace:

Just cos he's so darned cute - Jack and his bat pumpkin:

The end result: Oooh, scary!