Sort of Random Thoughts

This great post is bought to you by (and nicked from) Roxanne and her amazing sister Shelly. Check out their blogs ... so so interesting and inspiring.


So just in case my kids one day want to look back and know a bit more about me (at the moment they both wish David and I would shuffle off to the retirement Village and leave them alone).


 ... here goes



11 Random facts about me..

1) If you had an unlimited amount of money to spend at any store of your choice, where would it be?
Flightcentre.com.au. I dream of taking the family to Bali.  

2) Where's your favorite place to eat?
www.bavigo.com.au     or    www.guzmanygomez.com

3) When not blogging, what do you do for fun?
Going  to the beach with the family and friends .

4) Favorite print magazine?
Weekend Australia magazine or the Q Weekend Mag in the Courier Mail. I can't stand fashion or gossip magazines.

5) Your life is going to be a script for a movie, who would you want to play you?
My life is way too boring to be on the big screen.  

6) Coffee or tea?
Both ...Coffee in the morning but I LOVE a well made ice tea.

7) Book or movie?
Both ... love going to see a flick with my Bestie Vyc but I also read everydayand look forward to jumping into bed each night with my book.

8) Camping or a luxury hotel?
Both ....I loved our last camping trip but who wouldn't love to stay in a luxury hotel?

9) What is the worst gift you've ever received?
Gifts are my love language so I LOVE all gifts that I received.
I just love some a lot more than others :-)

10) If you could eat one thing for the rest of your life what would it be?
Vegies

11) What smell do you like the best?
What ever perfume I am obsessed with at the moment. Guess Seductive is my current fave (and Vyc gave me a bottle that she didnt like. Such a score!)

Specific questions

1) What's one thing you're currently looking forward to?

Spending Christmas with my family.  

2) What is your favorite post on your blog?

  NONE! Haha I think its all mindless dribble.

3) Who is your best friend and why?

David, because we spend the most time together and he supports me 100%. I am also lucky to be surrounded by sisters, sis in laws, girlfriends and work mates who I love dearly and lean on when I need to. 
 

4) Are you a spender or a saver?

Ever since David and I built our first house, I have stuck to a budget. But that is by necessity and I suspect if I could, I would be more of a spender. I think we should save more and its a huge goal for me.

5) What's your favorite joke?

 Anything that comes out the mouth of Judith Lucy

6) What's one hobby you'd like to learn but haven't?

Bush walking
 

7) What's your favorite part of the day?

 Early morning -  just me, my coffee and the quiet house.

8) What's your favorite dish to order at a restaurant?

 I like to order things I dont cook at home, so seafood pasta or salmon.

9) You can go back in time and change one thing without negative consequences. What would it be?

 My Mum

10) Who is your imaginary celebrity bestie?

Caroline Hutchinson ... I managed to stalk her on FB and become her "friend"... I'm nearly there! 

11) What's the one movie you could watch over and over again?

 Dear John and Black Hawk Down

YOUR TURN
 

Short As

Its official ... I am the shortest memeber of the Crew now!

 

 

Changing

I love this blog but I don't need it as much as I use to. So I desire to post less and less and that is a shame because having a record of everyday life with the kids is so precious.

Back in November, after two very hard years and what really has been a lifetime of anxiety I went on medication. I could write pages and pages of how that decision came about and how it has change my life.

Since then life has been different. In so many ways better, but still different.

Christmas was so so so good  with David's family ... until it completely crashed and burned.

David and I and the kids have never been better... life is challenging, we struggle to pay school  fees and a mortgage, we find parenting two teenagers HARD at times, we would like to go to Bali and relax for two weeks but cant, David's job continues to be in flux, and my job is so wonderful but probably going to finish in June  2014.

From here on in, I am who I am ... doing the best that I can with what I've got (which is all pretty amazing :-)

I need to find some space for forgiveness ... my beautiful Mother in Law Pauline hasn't spoken to me since New Years Day... and after being someones daughter for 19 years ... that's hard.

If you are reading this I love you and thank you for being in my life.

Ex

Fan or Not

I have ripped this post off Brooke's blog 'cos its an ace idea and I like stealing other peoples ace ideas.

The deal is to list things I am a fan of, and then not so much.

Lets go:

I am a Fan of Ben Afleck directed films.

I saw Argo on the weekend and I loved it. The man is a great film maker. Argo is a slow burn and by the closing scene I was gripping the sides of my chair. I love modern politics so the story behind Argo was interesting to me .... but its a great drama regardless of your interest in geopolitics etc. But I am going to go on record and say: as fab as Argo is - its no  The Town.
The Town is hands down the best of Mr Afleck's work - and he has a way better hair cut in The Town than the 70's shag of Argo.



Not a fan of the 70's shag



Mos def a fan of both Ben and Jeremy

 

 

 

 



 

I am a fan of Generation Kill

This TV Series was made by the peeps who made The Wire ( I am a fan of that too). Generation Kill is derived from the book  written by  journalist Evan Wright, who was embedded with a group of Marines during the first assault on Baghdad in 2003. The series has some of the best dialogue I have watched on TV,  second only to The Wire.  If you liked the Hurt Locker (or The Wire) you would probably enjoy Generation Kill. Be warned the Marines have no handle on political correctness (I was a fan of that too).

 

 

 

I am a fan of The Gaslight Anthem's new album

I was introduced to TGA by my mate Bruce Springsteen. Both hail from New Jersey and sing a lot about the human condition. This is TGA 4th Album and its making a bit of a splash in Oz. Maybe they will tour here and maybe I will drag Dave along to see them... stranger things have happened.


OK as I only seem to be a fan of  American pop culture perhaps its best I move on to what I am not a fan of.


I am NOT a fan of Lame School Photos

Check out this shocker! Both Riley and Lucy's school pics were crapoloa this year. I have no idea what they were both doing to their hair but I am pretty sure they never left the house with the tragic hairdo's both were sporting for the $50 money shot.


I am NOT a fan of Sunrise at 5.15am. Why is Qld so backwards? The rest of Australia can cope with daylight savings and yet here in backwardsville we have sunrise at 5.15am and sunset at 6.30ish. SO DUMB. It would be a dream come true to have sunset at 7.30pm ... even for just part of the year.


I am NOT a fan of Sharing my perfume.
Because I am thick, I could not work out why all my perfume was disappearing. When I caught Lulu in the act  of using my Chanel like deodorant ... the penny dropped. I am also not a fan of choosing a new scent so please tell me WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE PERFUME? I love Issey Miyake and Ralph Lauren Romance ... but I would also love something new and different ... so leave me a comment!

 

 

 

 

and here endeth the whinging. Tell me what are you a fan of (or Not)?

 

May (and My 40th Birthday) Summation

I'm not dead :-)

My friend Annie rang me on the weekend and asked if I was ok as I hadn't updated my blog in years. To be honest this is the post I have been dreading, even if I didn't have major internet connectivity issues I would still be dragging my heels to document May.

The lead up to my Birthday Weekend (BW) made May one very emotional and exhausting month.

All the weeks before hand were a mad rush to get the house and yard ready to have people over for my Birthday and then after the BW I was so exhausted and melancholy (not to mention poxy with about 16 cold sores ... sorry for that mental picture) that I threw a pity party for myself that lasted most of June.

All my pictures of the BW are crap and the good ones I took of my siblings out to lunch in Maleny were eaten by my iphone :-( but to follow is the best of a bad lot. 

David outdid himself and worked like a dog to get the paving finished.

This is me on my actual 40th Birthday! Cath dropped into the Uni to have coffee with me. The girls at work birthday bombed my office with balloons and streamers and we had cake in the afternoon. I had a great day apart from strange phone calls where not one but two relatives decided to turn saying Happy Birthday into berating me for perceived slights. Many Happy Returns!

This is the actual day of my party. This is the day I will treasure forever! My family all together, with some extra glorious news thrown in.

My niece Dana is a star... she (along with her parents and my  family) manned the kitchen and fed everyone.  David and I didn't have to worry about the food at all.

After lunch, Annie and Stewie drove hours to see me!!! I love these guys so much and I hated that they couldn't stay longer and that I wont see them now until September.

Looking back I have no idea why I didn't make a bit more of an effort with my hair and outfit on the day... probably because I was trying not to lose my shite at every turn.

Pretty much every pic I have is this bad! At least in this shot you can see the disco ball and the brazier. We managed to have my birthday outside on the coldest night of the year!

Its hard to see but David made the long table and bench seats so we could all sit and eat together and my fam decorated downstairs beautifully. It looked like a twinkly outdoor restaurant. My beautiful Sis Krys did my make up and it was very glam.

Here is me doing what I did most of the night... dorky dancing under the disco ball.

Suzie was also busting some moves :-)

Another  attempt at some family pics.... Cath is making sure she gets in the frame :-)

The next day we all went out to lunch at the tavern Dana is apprentice cheffing at. It was a great lunch for those of us not hungover and asleep on the couch (I'm looking at you David).

Dana picking out knives 

Sunday  also saw Krys and Andrew fly home (thank you again Angie,Krys and Andrew for coming so far for such a short time xxx).

Monday Cath, Ang and I took Joel to the Plaza and had some excellent brunch  and I walked around with the sick feeling in my tummy that it was all finishing.

Me, the sibs and my chins

Angie  flew home Tuesday morning and I went back to work. David and I spent the rest of May NOT working on the house and sleeping a lot.

Stay tuned for June where I hated the world, broke my iphone camera, and helped David rip out the bathroom.

Ex

About Me Me Me

Do you read The Tuck Show? You should. Roxanne is a very yummy Mummy with a really great outlook on life and her posts make me stop and think about life in different ways. Run don't walk to check her out.

Roxanne did a post where she answered questions about herself and asked questions of her readers. I wasn't going to post this but my blog is in danger of becoming a monthly recap (that doesn't really captured a lot of what I want to remember) so here goes .... I'm banging on about me. 

  
1) What is you and your significant other's song and why? David and I have very different musical tastes. He loves classical and some 1970's classics (Supertramp anyone?). I don't. So as unromantic as it sounds we don't have a "song" I am even hard pushed to remember what song we dance to at our wedding. But there is a song (or album) that screams David. Paul Simon's Graceland is one of David's faves and when the kids were little he would play really loudly and he and the kids would dance to it. The kids call it Dad's African songs.

 

2) What is your most valued possession? My marriage is my most valued possession (that you can't buy) and materially my most valued possession is my wedding band. For our ten year anniversary David had the emerald ring my Mum gave me and my wedding ring made into a wedding band. It's big and bold and I love the fact that its Mum and David together.

3) What personality traits and/or hobby did you inherit from your father? Hahaha Jacko are you ready for this one? I think my Dad and I have the same sense of humour (pretty dry and witty). Also I think we stress about some of the same (mundane) things. I would have liked to inherit some of his organisational skills and his attention to detail especially when it comes to paperwork. I also think my Dad is compassionate about other people and I would like to think I am too.

4) Do you keep your birthday cards? I cant bare to throw out birthday cards at the time and then years later I find them (stuffed in the back of a cupboard) and cull the ones not from family and my kids.

5) What style is your home decorated in? (Traditional, country, modern, etc.) Our house is a work in progress... I would say its very natural in colour with a blend of country and modern.

6) Describe your dream vacation. I would rent a suite of villas in Bali for a month and have all my family and David's family holiday together. This would be so great for the cousins and I can just imagine how fun the dinners out would be. 

7) If you were an animal, what you would you be and why? No idea! I don't really like animals (bit scared of them) so I don't want to be one. Predators eat you when you are an animal!

8) Do you have any tattoos? Do you want any? I have  a Chinese character at the base of my spine (yes I am a walking cliche). The character supposedly said "Eternity" but no doubt if I ever go to China someone will tell me its says "stupid white person". David has a matching one on his back (very Cath and Kim no?). At one time I wanted another tattoo (an orchid for my Mum my foot) but could take it or leave it now.

9) Do you have a statement piece of jewelry that you wear every day? My wedding band.

10) What is one goal you have set out for yourself right now? To Keep Calm and Carry On. We are having my birthday get together at home with all my fam and David's fam. David has embarked on a massive landscaping project downstairs with only 5 weeks to do it. My goal is to ENJOY my birthday and its lead up ... so far so good.

Now I am suppose to make up ten questions but I really like Roxanne's: so if you are so inclined use them :-)

Stop me if you have heard this before

I have had two head shrinking sessions with a counselor and so far so hard unsettling tiring good.

In case you want the short version: there is no magic pill in dealing with anxiety (well there probably are a few magic pills but not for me) and its not going to kill me and I have the power to minimise or maximise its impact on my life.

I like talking to Tracey. She is a talker too and that makes me feel relaxed. She is also smart, married, a Mum and has fantastic clothes and shoes. This is important to me why?
When T talks about anxiety she makes it seem like an unwanted guest that shows up in times of stress to protect us. My mission is to make the guest only show up when I really need to Fight or Flight ... not when  they run out of broccoli at the IGA.

I have homework. If I do my homework everyday I feel like I can actually banish a lot of the stronger symptoms of being anxious and stressed. The first week my home work was  to be present. This task is a lot less wankier harder than you think. So I had to live right in the moment ... not think about what was happening tomorrow, not organise the kids schedule in my head, not  plan how my next day at work was going to go. I also couldn't dwell on the past recent or otherwise.
So if  I was helping Lu with her homework, I was noticing the words and text etc. If  was driving Bear to Rugby I was either talking to him or really taking in the scenery. The deal was to be aware of my senses and bring my scattered brain back to centre. The ultimate deal is to do this more and more so that I am much more focused on the task at hand in general.

This week my homework has been to try 10 daily nurturing habits. Nurturing habits are things you do that nurture your brain. It usually involves your senses as well. For example some of mine are looking at the view from the Sports Tower where I work when the sun is shining. Putting on and smelling perfume everyday. Getting a hug from the kids (an noticing how their hands or arms  feel around my neck  me. Sitting against the big feather down pillow on my bed. You get the idea, these habits don't involve money (although I reckon a  pedi  could nurture my soul)  or a lot of time.

T also recommended an  app  for my mob called The Mindful Buddha (its also a book and on twitter). The app guides you through mind and breathing exercises but frankly I am struggling to get all my homework as well as my life done so I am not really using the app at the mo. Maybe if I gave up instagram I may have time for The Mindful Buddha. Maybe I should prioritise my iPhone mucking around time.

I feel like lots of the information T gives me I have heard before. Except I haven't its just that it makes such good sense to me. It resonates with how I am and how I want to live. I feel like with the right tools I could live a much more peaceful life.

So anyway I am suppose to take a list of my life expectations to my next appointment.

Note to self ... get some life expectations ... quick!



PS Anxiety and depression can go hand in glove ...  I thank my lucky lucky stars and the great cosmic lottery that I don't suffer the debilitating symptons of depression. I know lots of people who do and this post in no way minimises  the use of medication  or counselling to deal with that black dog of a disease.
Love ya
Ex

i got a phone for Chrissy

David and Santa organised an iphone for Christmas for me. Lord help you... the following is just a sample of all the weird pics that the kids and I have taken already. All destined to be stuck in a future blog post no doubt.

The kids play this annoying  funny game where they swap my phone wall paper from this to this.

Twelve times a day.

 I am also going to be one of those annoying people who whip out their mob to take photos of food ...

and turn average pics of themselves into arty sun drenched shots in an effort to disguise the wrinkles and flab.


 i very happy.

I Do Not Heart Blogger

I have at least two complete posts that wont publish! Any ideas ? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller? Bueller? Anyone?

It's like the publish button just wont work. Also I cant highlight any if the text to change or edit it.


This is making me so out of proportionally annoyed I am about to lose my shite (or cry).


First World Problem anyone?

OK so I did get my posts to publish (sort of) but I still do not heart blogger!

Things I have learnt

It's true University is the seat of learning. I did my first two days there and I learnt heaps. For instance I now know the following:

• Students are the enemy.

• If you want to appear smart talk in acronyms.

This may have been an actual convo with my new boss.
New boss " Now that our POD is on the QRS you will have to get the BSY to the APT with the YFR."

Me" Ok ... wait WHAT????"

• If your office overlooks the Uni pool you can look out your window between 8am and 10.30am and watch the French Olympic swimming team train. In Speedos.

• Students are the enemy.

• The friendly grey haired chap in the checked shirt is the Big Kahuna. I'm just giving you this info so you don't make a wise crack to him before a meeting and then find out he is the Big Kahuna.

• If you want to change the location of the stack of letterhead paper be prepared for a 25 minute discussion about the pros and cons of moving it.

• Nobody talks to the new kid except to say "Good luck with that" when you tell them your job title.

• No meeting is ever complete without a PowerPoint presentation and the words suboptimal performance guidelines(???).

• Even though nobody talks to the new kid, the new kid cant believe they get paid to do this job.

• and lastly remember students are the enemy even though everyone seems to have been one at some stage going from all the framed degrees in offices. Weird.

I know it will all be ok

So I may have mentioned (or whinged non stop) about how much 2011 has sucked for me and for people I love. Well I think for someone who hates change its about to get a lot more suckier (making up words as I go along).


For years I have worked with David. Its been safe and productive and I have loved it. Lots of peeps say they couldn't work with their spouse. I think it worked for us because David is a completely different person at work. He works non stop and is incredibly professional. He rarely talks about life outside of work and it can take people (like salesmen or project managers) years to work out we are married. Of course this never stopped me from trying to sort kids/dinner plans/holidays with him at work... I just never get very far. Also the flexibility of the owners has played a huge part in my being able to work around study and the kids. For this I have been one of the luckiest people in the workforce.

But this year has been hard and the company we work for has been hit by both the lack of vision and direction on the Coast (2 speed bloody economy anyone?) and by flat out mismanagement from its owners.

Long stressful story short I started applying for jobs. I started applying for jobs in December last year . I started applying for jobs in December last year and after 22 applications and 21 "no thanks" I got one interview.

I got that job.

This is good but not fantastic as its a part time position doing research and admin at the University. I will still work with David part time and just keep swimming towards something permanent. David has some big plans for next year too so we are "going forward".

Wish me luck I am scared beyond words.

Not scared about being able to do the job or my capabilities just scared of the unknown.

I went and met some of the people working on the project and my new boss. They are all very academic (huh that is what you get working at the Uni!) but seem friendly.

I saw our accountant yesterday who is a really good friend and mentor and he allayed some of my fears and actually got me excited about starting something new. I then realised how worried I have been about this change (I have only told about 3 people). Dave has been wanting to take me out to tea to celebrate ever since I got the job but I have been too worried, embarrassed and ashamed to relax enough to celebrate.

Yes embarrassed and ashamed because the position is ONLY part time and could be a mistake blah blah catastrophising blah blah.

I realise this is a really unproductive way to think and have tried to ease up on all the negative self talk. To get a position on the Coast in this jobs economy is actually a big deal and I am just focusing on that.

So now for a completely over the top quote :

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world. There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We are born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us, it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson.

That is the story so far .I know it will all be ok. Hey it might even be stellar.

I would rather

have 10 cysts removed from my rhymes with the capital of Saskatchewan than relive the last 2 weeks.

After the chest infection and the scratched eye I got a sinus infection. Sinus infections are more painful than childbirth (imo) and make you feel like you have the mega flu. They are vile.

I have finished my second lot of antibiotics but I am still pretty much dragging myself through each day. Yesterday I did ok at work but crashed in bed at about 7.30pm.

Of course the worst thing in the whole wide world is I cant taste or smell. ANYTHING. For someone who lives to eat this is a real bummer. I'm also a little bit scared my sense of smell and taste may not come back ever ... oh vey I cant bare to think about that. I have new recipes I want to try this weekend of course I wont be doing that if I cant taste them (sorry family). I made veggie soup on the weekend and the kids wouldn't taste test if for me ... so who knows what I was eating for three days.

Sorry for the pointless rant about my ill health. Hopefully my next post is healthier.

A poke in the eye (would be fine on its own)

Yesterday after I stopped puking from the anaesthetic I was still feeling less that average so I took myself off to see Edward again.

So I now have a chest infection and I'm on the roids (or maybe just garden variety antibiotics). Fabulous.

Last night after a wonderful relaxing dinner where Bear acted like a 2 year old because he didn't like what was being served up for tea (more on that and its consequences later) I felt a burning sensation in my eye.

Is there anything worse than having a scratched eyeball ? Possible having a cyst removed, stitches with no baby to show for it, a chest infection AND a scratched eyeball.

To be honest I have no idea what is in my eye but after an hour of dicking around with eyewash and eye drops and with no relief I took a horse tranquilliser and went to sleep. (Apparently I woke David up during the night and told him " my eye hurts like a MotherF#cker") Descriptive and informative.

So this morning my eye isn't as sore but it is almost swollen shut and looks like black eye with out the black. The eye itself is a nice shade of cerise.

I'm not making this shite up.


Hopefully I am going back to work tomorrow (just to feel like a normal person) if I can make it through the night without appendicitis or a broken leg.

Team Edward and Team George

So its been a plague on both our houses (except we only have one) lately. First Riley got sick and just as he finished his antibiotics and went back to school Lucy started coughing and feeling like crap and last Wednesday I started coughing and carrying on. On Thursday night I had a huge coughing fit that ended badly with lots of pain in my groin area (vague enough for you). On Friday I went to see my Doctor, Edward. Edward is beautiful. But really who would be a doctor? You study for 20 years, meet nice people and have to stick your hand up them. Poor Edward. Anyways Edward thought I may have a tear in a place you really don't ever want a tear and prescribed antibiotics rest ice packs and panadol. I coped with this until Saturday morning at 3.40am when I may have screamed at David that I wanted to go to the hospital NOW. Cos it was David fault obviously. We did go first thing Saturday morning to see Edward who took one look at me and rang his friend George at the hospital. Over to the hospital we went. Dr George was beautiful too. Except George said it wasn't a tear and it had nothing to do with the coughing and by the way he was operating on me at 2pm.
and he did. and he removed a very large cyst. from inside me. and I didn't die from the anesthetic. and now I have a lot of stitches.

Today I am back at home a little bit sore and a little but pukey but mostly just so THANKFUL to Edward and George and Selengor Hospital and the fantastic country I live in that meant from diagnoses to operation was only about 4 (very painful) hours.

Wow is anyone else impressed I didn't type the V word once? and can anyone guess just how much pain medication I am on ?


I'm off now to eat the yummy little choc cakes Vyc made for me last night. Thanks Vyc.

What I Wore Wednesday

Of course Mardi and Kymmie do this much better but here is my contribution...

I like to wear this outfit with my fake smile...

Best part of the outfit... Toes by Lulu.

My photographer and my pedicurist.

The Deets

Shirt dress top = Ally (Op Shop)

Jeans = K Mart

Shoes = Thailand

Beads = Just Jeans

Ring = Diva

Looking to Ke$ha for hair tips...somebody stop me!

Sometimes I forget that I am a nearly 40 year old mother of two with very average hair (not to mention a limited "beauty" budget) and in my wildest fantasies I have thick long voluminous hair. Just so you know Matt Damon and a zero mortgage also feature heavily in my fantasies.



Anyhoo lately I have been seeing feathers and colours strips in people's hair and thinking "I could rock that look". Yeah I need help probably.




I like the idea of fake hair and feathers 'cos I think it would add volume to my fine dull nearly 40year old hair... unfortunately it would probably scream Loser rather than Hipster.







The pink hair ribbon below is an initiative of an Australian breast cancer charity with a percentage of the price of the pink hair ribbon going to the charity. Unfortunately there are no hairdressers doing it in my town... I think I could get away with a few pink ribbons in my hair if I could say it was for a good cause (as opposed to being for my vainess).







If I did go the coloured hair tips path it would most likely be disastrous and I would end up looking like this.




Can you believe money and access's to stylists was no problem and she still ended up looking like Cruella Deville?

Also because I spend an embarrassing amount of time thinking about my hair I have noticed this style is popular amongst the young starlets.

This is call Balayage. Balayage is french for "I'm so rich I get some hairdresser tool to make me look like I am too broke and white trash to get my roots touched up" .

Probably a good thing I cant afford it.

Even mass forwarded emails are making me cry

Life is too short to wake up with regrets.

Love the people who treat you right.

Forget about the ones who don't.

Believe everything happens for a reason.

If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands.

If it changes your life, let it.

Nobody said life would be easy.

They just promised it would be worth it.

Friends are like balloons. Once you let them go, you can't get them back.

Send these balloons to your friends.

My big Sis sent me this round robin email and it made me cry. Cos I'm a loser.

Also because last week I had a friendship die. Dramatic much?

David and I had some really good close friends (friends who we went away for a holiday with and still came back friends ) friends.

Then they moved to the coast moved in different circles and dropped us like we weren't hot at all.

I understand that sort of ... friendships do come and go. Last week I told David I was going to organise a lunch with my friend and see if I could be a better friend to her (or find out what her problem with me was).

I did organise the lunch for 1pm on Friday. At 1.11pm on Friday I realised the friendship was dead.

It wasn't that she invited all her others friends to the lunch (I really like them and they seem to like me) it wasn't that she kissed and acknowledged everyone but me, it wasn't that she made unkind comments about my kids, my husband and my (lack of) work prospects. No it was when I realised that having her as a friend made me feel pretty crappy about myself. I have same valid reasons to feel crappy... I don't need silly immature and unvalid ones... but thanks anyway.

So thanks Angie for the email. I loved it and I really needed the balloons today.

PS Lest you think that this blog is ALWAYS about me .... These balloon are for you too my reader friends and fam. I love each and everyone of youse and you all rock ;-)

So go on have a balloon.

Ex

First World Problems

According to Urban Dictionary First World Problems are:

Problems from living in a wealthy, industrialized nation that third worlders would probably roll their eyes at.

This week I feel like I have a lot of FWP.

FWP1. I paid $35 for a hair cut. For Riley.

I was sort of ambushed into it. Sort of. Riley likes to get his haircut at the same place his cousins and Cath do. Its always expensive but as he is so so so low maintenance I don't mind. He gets about 3 haircuts a year and I feel a bit sorry for him because he is starting to get David's coarse curly hair (hair changes when you go thru puberty just so you know) so a decent haircut is the least I can do for him.

Anyhoo last night AFTER Bear is in the chair and gowned up and the perky blond is running her fingers thru his hair... she turns to me and says "Our price for Boys High School cuts has gone up to $35 OK?"

What was I going to do at that point? Even though I have no desire to be a cool Mum I also have no desire to embarrass my kids unnecessarily so even if I saved $10 bucks by changing hairdressers dragging my teenager out of there didn't really cross my mind. Still I feel ill at paying that amount for a kids haircut.

FWP2. George Clooney called and he wants his coffee machine back.

Oh look at his happy face.

We bought a Nespresso coffee machine. Although its swanky (with a silent s) it does make great coffee just like the real cafe deal. Slight problem caffeine makes me anxious. After two days of nausea and full on anxiety I remembered why I gave it up. Dave is still enjoying it.

FWP3. I bought some new summery shoes and I want to wear them.Now.

Its 11 degrees today.

FWP4. We are going on holidays. Soon.

I haven't packed. I feel I am not ready to go. I also am feeling stressed about going (where will we eat, what if the kids snow gear doesn't fit, what if they freeze on the slopes, will the hotel have quick internet and excellent cable TV, and again where will we eat?).

When will I have my shite together enough NOT to freak out over going on holidays?

FWP5. I miss Daisy.

Because of FWP4. I dropped Daisy off to our friends who are baby sitting her whilst we are away.

I got a bit teary leaving her. I wish they let me take her on the plane it would make for a much calmer flight.

Okay do YOU have first world problems? Please feel free to share so I dont feel like the massive loser that I am.

Ex