Parliament is in...

Aren't these little cuties?


I saw them ages ago in a catalogue and called the store, only to find they hadn't even got the stock in yet. So they took my name and number, and I figured I would never hear from them again.

That was maybe 2 months ago now and just a couple of weeks ago, I got the call and they put them aside for me, and held them until I managed to pick them up on Sunday. Let me just say at this point, I didn't get there as early as planned and when I called to ask them to hold them a few days longer they happily obliged, thanking me for the call.

When I got there, Fred remembered my name, got them out of storage and we discussed which ones to buy and a few ways to set them up. He was really lovely and so helpful. (thanks Fred!)

There are 4 different options/sizes and they are all under $10ea.

Pretty cute hey? If you like them (and you want them too) just go to Domayne in QV Melbourne. There were quite a few in stock when I was there, though I don't expect they will last for long - they're a real hoot!*

*sorry - I just had to!

Selling up to go traveling...

I chose this image because (as you know) it's just 37 sleeps to the USA, but also because this is my car - well it's the same version as my car - a 40th anniversary edition to commemorate when the Mini won the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964.

Mine doesn't have the checkered roof or details, but it has a number 37 on the side (the number of the car that won the race).

I love it, though recently I have been considering selling it and going traveling for a year. What do you think?

Any buyers?

* I just wanted to say a very big thank you to everyone for your comments and suggestions re travel to the USA and apologise for not getting around to many blogs lately (and those I do visit I haven't been leaving many comments). Planning for the big trip has been keeping me busy, but I am still here and lurking about. And I will return!

42

You guessed it.
42 Sleeps to USA.
(Not that I'm counting!)

Coming soon - Project USA.

There are days when I really want a drink...

I don't really drink alcohol.
Mostly it's because I don't like the taste.


It would be nice to sit with friends and share a bottle of wine, to enjoy a social gathering over a few drinks at the end of the week or a hot summer's day. But to this day I have never managed to find a wine or beer that I especially like. So I figure, why bother?


But there are days...
when I am over the slog
when my patience is wearing thin
when all I want to do is scream bloody murder...
when I think that having a few bevies to calm the turmoil inside my head, might come in handy.
That drinking myself into oblivion might soak away the voices and frustrations. Where my sorrows will be drowned and silenced.

Somedays I believe that waking up with a hangover, might just be preferable to waking up with the head-hurting knowledge that groundhog day is waiting for me to get out of bed to start all over again.

Actually, it's 48 sleeps from today... (oopsie)

Oopsie.
Slight miscalculation.
I have 48 sleeps from TODAY before I leave for the states.
(Not that it really matters, but I just wanted you to know).
Not to worry.
The countdown has begun.

48 Sleeps

On this day in 7 weeks I will be getting on a plane to NYC, USA.


I will be away for a total of 6 and a half weeks. I can barely believe it is happening! It seems like an age since I have had a holiday and I really do need the break, and 6.5 weeks is bliss.

My Mum (Mom) and I will be traveling together. We have agreed to spend 4 weeks together and 2 weeks 'doing our own thing', so that I can get the escape from 'my world' that I have been craving, and we can hang out together for the rest of it. Thankfully we are good travel companions, so it will be a great combination.

There has been some planning (though this weekend will see more when Mum and I get together) and this is where it stands at this stage...

Arrive NYC, August 5th.
Head straight to Maine for the first week or two. We will hang out with friends and visit Camp Tanglewood where I worked as a summer camp counsellor 20 years ago. I would love to rent a house (or better still be invited to house sit or stay with friends) on the Maine coast.

Picture all those New England postcards you may have seen of little seaside towns with stark white homes and tiny shops huddled around a small bay and that's where we'll be. With luck we will see the Northern Lights.

For those first one to two weeks, my ideal would be relaxing in the summer sun and soaking up good old USA hospitality. No pressure to do anything but grab a book, write a journal, do some drawing, take a walk, sit in a cafe and watch the world go by.

Be still. And breathe. Deeply.

From there it's largely unplanned. At this stage we are going to stay in the northern states as I traveled to California and other southern states 20 years ago.

What I do know... There will be a trip to Niagara Falls. Maybe a few days in Boston. Two weeks of mystery adventures. And then, across the last two weeks I will be in Washington DC for the long weekend in September (where I hope to meet a lovely blogging friend), traveling south to Southern Maryland to visit another friend (due to have twins in the next few weeks) and then ten nights in NYC.

It already sounds busy, but I don't want to over plan as I want to leave some of it to chance. Though I am keen to organise accommodation in NYC so that we can head there and not have to worry about where we will be staying.

I'm expecting there may be some readers who are a little envious (I know this because I know the jealousy I have experienced when reading posts about other blogger's travels) and maybe wish you could be doing the same trip... that right now you are thinking of all the things you would do if you were in the USA for 6 weeks!

I would love to hear your thoughts.

If you had 6 weeks in the USA where would you go and what would you do?
Is there anything you just wouldn't want to miss?
Have you been to NYC? Would you recommend anywhere to stay?
Are there markets you would like to visit? Stores? Galleries?
Hidden treasures you'd like to share.
Workshops you would like to take?
I would love some specifics. Or just general comments are fine too.

1000 Journals

Well, it's Sunday night and it's 11 o'clock. It's been a busy weekend already and normally by now, I would be tucked up in my bed, with the working week looming grimly.

This Sunday night however, I am happy to say is not a normal Sunday night... 

Thankfully tomorrow is a public holiday (Happy Birthday to the Queen) which means I will be able to ease more casually into what is normally a manic Monday morning and I will not be regretting this late night of googling and blogging.

But before I go, I really wanted to tell you about a great movie I have watched on ABC2 tonight. Hopefully you caught it too.

It was called 1000 Journals and is the documentary style movie about 1000 journals that were despatched by 'someguy' from San Francisco into the world in August 2000 and what has happened since.

I loved it. It was surprising and inspiring. And as a lover or journalling and all things creative (and being the nosey person I am), it was compelling viewing. And of course as soon as it was over, I jumped onto the website to take a look.

The covers are different on all 1000 journals. This one was designed by Australian artist Russell Tate.

Make sure you go take a look at the 1000 Journals website. Go see how it all came to be... Many many pages are scanned and waiting to be viewed and explored. People's stories and creativity is there for all to see. And if you love this 'stuff' as I do, you will find it hard to go to bed on time too!

There is more to life...

"There is more to life than increasing the speed."
 GHANDI


It's been a busy week here and the long weekend is just a breath away. I do plan to take a bit of a break at some stage...
though in the meantime...

Tonight am off to see Banksy's movie "Exit Through the Giftshop" at ACMI.
On Saturday I hope to head to the Sister's Market in Brunswick.
Sunday I want to head to Camberwell Market.
And Monday? I might get to sleep in! Catch up on some reading. Watch a movie.

And amongst all that, there's sure to be a bit of planning and dreaming about my impending trip to the USA... (more details next week).

I may even get a bit of blogging done (and belatedly return some comments to all my neglected faves)!

Enjoy the weekend everyone.

If this a mid-life crisis...

A few weeks ago, I did something I have been wanting to do for years.

When I was in my 20's, my boyfriend at the time, convinced my not to do it. When I was in my 30's I had more or less discarded it, though I continued to envy and admire women who did it. And now, in my (early 40's) I have finally done it too.

Having chatted with a friend about it, who was keen to come along, we went off on a Saturday a few weeks back, and went to The Piercing Urge where I met Sam (pictured) who pierced my nose. Yes, I got my nose pierced.

And I am pleased with the result. And I like how it looks. It is not huge or ugly. In fact is is small and (I think) rather discreet. People who have said anything have said they liked it (apart from my Mother and an Aunt, who I knew would not really like it and they said as much)... and the rest have declined to comment either because they don't like it, or, as a few people have said, they weren't totally sure whether I had always had it.

So. Why did I do it?
Because I wanted to.

And because I can.

And because I figured, at 42, it's about time I do stuff I want to do, instead of worrying about what others might think of me.

And whilst it might be a little unexpected and they might not approve, my Mum still loves me, and my Aunt still loves me, and whilst they may not like nose jewelry, they do understand that what I do with my body is my decision. And they will soon get accustomed to it in any case.

Besides, if this is my mid-life crisis (and this is the 'worst' thing I do), then hopefully that means I may live to be 85.

Zero Coke Zero...

One of my theories on life, is that diet soft drink, in particular Diet Coke and Coke Zero, are going to be the nicotine of my generation.

I believe that in the years to come, it will be revealed that big corporations have been aware of the addiction and health issues connected with phenylalanine and that they are equally as detrimental to health as nicotine. And, that like nicotine, in the race for the mighty buck, companies turned a blind eye to the health risks (maybe even hiding them under the carpet) and continued to financially benefit from people's addictions.

Let's face it, a chemicals that make a sweet drink free of calories and the additional caffeine cannot possibly be good. In fact, a doctor that my mother saw a couple of years ago, said that Coke (despite it's sugar levels) is preferable to the diet options which he considered paramount to poison.

Don't get me wrong, I actually like the stuff. In fact, I would almost admit to a slight addiction myself. I crave it as a quick pick-me-up in the slump of my work afternoon, and I get a headache if I don't have one. It is probably my drink of choice when I go out, as I don't often drink alcohol. I don't drink a lot of it, but regardless, knowing it can't possibly be good for me, I should have given it up years ago.

The final straw (ha ha) was an article I saw on tv recently where a young woman was talking of her addiction to Coke Zero. She drank 70 (yes SEVENTY) litres every week. That's 10 litres every single DAY! Crazy!

She can't even remember the last time she drank water. She admits to bad moods and headaches if she doesn't drink it. In fact, when her partner didn't buy it one week, she hit him in her fury!

The health official on the show (asked for his professional opinion), said that the additives in the drink, had the worrying side effect of disturbing the absorption of calcium into the body and thus will have a serious effect on her future bone density. And other side effects too including weight gain!!! Seriously!

So why am I drinking this stuff? Well, I have been asking myself the same thing for months without any reasonable answer, and so on May 31st, I drank my last Coke Zero. I'm going cold turkey. And on June 2nd I'm doing ok. No hissy fits or cold sweats. Mostly I'm feeling a little bit pleased with myself. A bit like giving up cigarettes for a smoker.

But now, I am looking for an alternative, because I still would like to have something with a bit of fizz sometimes. I have heard of a brand called Zevia which is a natural diet soft drink alternative and I have a friend who says it's good.

Any other ideas anyone? I would love to hear about them.