In my hands are my official travel documents for THE trip. The trip where Aaron's and my childhood dreams get realised - we see his dream of London, and mine of Paris. EEEEEEE!
(Okay, yes they're not actually in my hands, because I'm using both hands to type, I have them in my bag at my feet.)
Having the travel docs I think is reducing the really overwhelmed feelings I've had about this trip because I'm comprehending that it is real, and we have some great plans so we're definitely making the most of it.
I think we've done fabulously at crossing as many things off our bucket list as we can. The whole way this started, after we'd thought about taking a break to allow our house/cat sitter extraordinaire have a year without dealing with Obi's insanity, was that the opportunity came up to see our beloved New Zealand Cricket Team play at Lord's Cricket Ground. The Mecca of Cricket. For those not up with this - I love cricket and Aaron's flat out obsessed, I'm really the mistress because he'd have married the game if it was legal. So my generous housesitter volunteered to let us go on a trip, so we could get tickets.
Of course, it grew bigger from there, especially when Aaron's parents, who are currently road tripping around the US, decided to change their plans to meet us in London on their way home, so we extended the trip to suit. Aaron's dad is from London originally, so there will be father and son bonding over my father in law's childhood haunts as he's taking us on a tour of where he grew up. In other family news, in a cool twist, my sister who lives in Canada (I now totally have Rod from Avenue Q singing in my head) is also heading to London while we're there so I'll get to spend time with her too. We're going to see Spamalot together, which I'm looking forward to a lot.
So we've got one night in Singapore, 11 in London, 4 in Paris and lose another in transit on the way home. Because the length of the flights fill us with dread and I'm a sucker for credit card debt, we're flying business class, which should be an experience. I'm not sure it's something we'd do regularly but again the opportunity arose, so we decided to take it.
I'll post an actual itinerary (well what we've sort of got for an itinerary, there's more space than I usually have!) in a later blog but here's a quick summary of some of the things we're going to do
London -
- A day at Lord's watching New Zealand (hopefully they'll play okay!) plus a tour on another day
- See a couple of West End shows - I'm cheating by seeing things I've seen before, but there wasn't a lot on show that really appealled to me
- A day trip to Stonehenge and Bath
- A Rock and Roll bus tour of London - seeing a bunch of famous rock and roll sights - Abbey Road, studios, concert venues etc
- Jack the Ripper Tour
- We're going up the Shard to look over the city
- Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and all the other obvious famous sightseeing locations
We're also there for the FA Cup final (shame Man Utd let me down there) and Eurovision, it should be great being part of the atmosphere for both.
Paris -
- Going to Montmartre
- A tour that takes up the Eiffel Tower
- A Louvre Walking Tour
- An Illuminations Tour and Seine Cruise
- A trip to Versailles
- Hopefully a visit to the Museum of the Middle Ages if we get time
Pretty much everything's been ticked off my must see list in both place
I'm hoping to do my usual daily blog and for those on my facebook - the daily upload of photos (I apologise in advance for how many there will be - I use FB as a backup for photos as well as for sharing) so keep a look out here for tales from the trip.
YAY! Thanks for reading :)
Monday, April 29, 2013
Monday, January 14, 2013
Golden Globes and Golden Hair
Movie hell has frozen over. Not only have I actually seen both movies that won the Best Movie categories at Golden Globes, I thought one was okay (Les Mis) and the other one was actually my favourite movie for the year - Argo. If you haven't seen that film, do yourself a serious favour. It's amazing, and yes Ben Affleck is super attractive in it, as an added extra.
I will actually see other nominees Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook too, when they are eventually released in Australia. Lincoln because of my American history nerdism and Silver Linings Playbook because over the last month I've decided I have a massive crush on Bradley Cooper. I'm a bit behind the times there, I realise.
What else is new? My hair isn't the really blonde it was, it's now a golden brown. It was supposed to be a dark, mousy blonde like Lauren Conrad, and I was rather distraught for a few days but now I've calmed, and am accepting it. However, I've broken up with my hairdresser (secretly, like a girlfriend who moved all of her stuff out while her boyfriend was at work) because I've realised this is the third time out of three times where she's changed what I asked for with my hair because she decided she liked it better her way, this has led to my hair being cut way shorter than I'd like, it being a colour I'm unhappy with and some weird side fringe thing. I miss my old hairdresser so much, I always felt she understood me and my hair. Trying to find her replacement has been a long and unsatisfying experience.
The last week has been reasonably uneventful apart from that. I went to my first One Day International at Adelaide Oval for years, and gee, that is a much more pleasant day when the weather is cold, oh and when Australia lose. Yes, I don't support Australia in the cricket, I support New Zealand, but I'm not discussing how well that's working out because I prefer not to use swear words. Between NZ and the Packers, it was a reasonably lousy weekend for sport. Thank goodness for Manchester United.
Apart from that, all is as really same old, same old. I miss Christmas. I miss knowing that Christmas lights won't be seen again for months, that I'm skipping the Christmas carols that come on my Ipod etc. It's such a joyous time for me, I'm always flat when it's over. I'm wishing the year away a bit I've realised, I'm so looking forward to our holiday, and oddly I'm looking forward to winter. Yes, me, looking forward to winter. When I explain it's because I've bought a bunch of super cute jumpers and the world's best puffer jacket, it makes more sense, doesn't it? It amazes me that I've become a shopper. I used to hate it so much.
It's bed time for me, so goodnight!
I will actually see other nominees Lincoln and Silver Linings Playbook too, when they are eventually released in Australia. Lincoln because of my American history nerdism and Silver Linings Playbook because over the last month I've decided I have a massive crush on Bradley Cooper. I'm a bit behind the times there, I realise.
What else is new? My hair isn't the really blonde it was, it's now a golden brown. It was supposed to be a dark, mousy blonde like Lauren Conrad, and I was rather distraught for a few days but now I've calmed, and am accepting it. However, I've broken up with my hairdresser (secretly, like a girlfriend who moved all of her stuff out while her boyfriend was at work) because I've realised this is the third time out of three times where she's changed what I asked for with my hair because she decided she liked it better her way, this has led to my hair being cut way shorter than I'd like, it being a colour I'm unhappy with and some weird side fringe thing. I miss my old hairdresser so much, I always felt she understood me and my hair. Trying to find her replacement has been a long and unsatisfying experience.
The last week has been reasonably uneventful apart from that. I went to my first One Day International at Adelaide Oval for years, and gee, that is a much more pleasant day when the weather is cold, oh and when Australia lose. Yes, I don't support Australia in the cricket, I support New Zealand, but I'm not discussing how well that's working out because I prefer not to use swear words. Between NZ and the Packers, it was a reasonably lousy weekend for sport. Thank goodness for Manchester United.
Apart from that, all is as really same old, same old. I miss Christmas. I miss knowing that Christmas lights won't be seen again for months, that I'm skipping the Christmas carols that come on my Ipod etc. It's such a joyous time for me, I'm always flat when it's over. I'm wishing the year away a bit I've realised, I'm so looking forward to our holiday, and oddly I'm looking forward to winter. Yes, me, looking forward to winter. When I explain it's because I've bought a bunch of super cute jumpers and the world's best puffer jacket, it makes more sense, doesn't it? It amazes me that I've become a shopper. I used to hate it so much.
It's bed time for me, so goodnight!
Sunday, January 6, 2013
The Banana Republic Challenge
Last July I wrote about my shallow inspiration to lose weight - fitting into a Banana Republic dress. (http://havecatwilltravel.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/the-banana-republic-goal.html). This is going to be a repetitive blog, so I'm just going to publish but not share it. I'll share updates, which I'm determined to have.
I admit that I became consumed with other thoughts last year which upped my stress eating and also because so much of my shopping is impulsive and I don't think in advance about something I want to buy, it's been a fairly easy inspiration to set aside. However we're now hopefully going back to the US in 2014 it's occurred to me that I can now use the satisfaction I'd feel walking into the store, rather than walking past, head bowed with embarrassment that I don't feel good enough as a really good inspiration. (I feel this with any "normal size" store, I don't think Banana Republic is some super amazing designer store etc - they just really match my style.)
So, I have an actual goal now, with an actual timeline (15 months). It's also a good time to start, as my thyroid medication has just been upped as it wasn't working as well as it should have, so hopefully my very sleepy metabolism wakes up.
Realistically I'm not sure if I'll lose enough weight in that time, but I'll certainly feel fitter and healthier so that's great.
So, to the Banana Republic Challenge. It will not involve actual bananas, horrible, horrible things. It will involve me making more little changes to my diet and exercise, that I plan to increase and consolidate as things go on.
The first changes are:
- Drink more water, most notably swapping my extremely bad habit of a coca cola with lunch with water. I also drink a glass of cola with dinner each night, I'll look to cut down on that later, but baby steps with my caffeine and sugar!
- Eat more fruit and vegetables - it's occurred to me that I really don't eat fruit at all, and stick to vegetables as a side dish to a main. I really hate salad but I'm going to learn to eat it regardless.
- Bring snacks like carrot sticks etc to work, and have them prepped at home, because I don't actually snack enough, and when I do I find myself looking for chocolate or chips etc.
- The most important is to get more active. I'm having a separate health issue that's making me not want to exercise. However, I'm expecting that to settle over the next fortnight and in that time, I'm also expecting a delivery of specific exercise clothes I'd ordered from overseas. I'd planned to buy a treadmill but I think it's an expense I can't justify at the moment (as I'm diverting most funds to travel) so I'm going to pull out the Wii Fit and actually remember I have a backyard. (I can't walk in our neighbourhood easily because of limited footpaths and bad lighting.)
-I'm also going to log my food/drink intake in My Fitness Pal, I find that really useful when I see and think about food.
I'll report how I'm going in a month :)
I admit that I became consumed with other thoughts last year which upped my stress eating and also because so much of my shopping is impulsive and I don't think in advance about something I want to buy, it's been a fairly easy inspiration to set aside. However we're now hopefully going back to the US in 2014 it's occurred to me that I can now use the satisfaction I'd feel walking into the store, rather than walking past, head bowed with embarrassment that I don't feel good enough as a really good inspiration. (I feel this with any "normal size" store, I don't think Banana Republic is some super amazing designer store etc - they just really match my style.)
So, I have an actual goal now, with an actual timeline (15 months). It's also a good time to start, as my thyroid medication has just been upped as it wasn't working as well as it should have, so hopefully my very sleepy metabolism wakes up.
Realistically I'm not sure if I'll lose enough weight in that time, but I'll certainly feel fitter and healthier so that's great.
So, to the Banana Republic Challenge. It will not involve actual bananas, horrible, horrible things. It will involve me making more little changes to my diet and exercise, that I plan to increase and consolidate as things go on.
The first changes are:
- Drink more water, most notably swapping my extremely bad habit of a coca cola with lunch with water. I also drink a glass of cola with dinner each night, I'll look to cut down on that later, but baby steps with my caffeine and sugar!
- Eat more fruit and vegetables - it's occurred to me that I really don't eat fruit at all, and stick to vegetables as a side dish to a main. I really hate salad but I'm going to learn to eat it regardless.
- Bring snacks like carrot sticks etc to work, and have them prepped at home, because I don't actually snack enough, and when I do I find myself looking for chocolate or chips etc.
- The most important is to get more active. I'm having a separate health issue that's making me not want to exercise. However, I'm expecting that to settle over the next fortnight and in that time, I'm also expecting a delivery of specific exercise clothes I'd ordered from overseas. I'd planned to buy a treadmill but I think it's an expense I can't justify at the moment (as I'm diverting most funds to travel) so I'm going to pull out the Wii Fit and actually remember I have a backyard. (I can't walk in our neighbourhood easily because of limited footpaths and bad lighting.)
-I'm also going to log my food/drink intake in My Fitness Pal, I find that really useful when I see and think about food.
I'll report how I'm going in a month :)
Saturday, January 5, 2013
An Update on Two Trips
I'm breaking the rules tonight, and writing two blogs on different subjects on the same day. Yeah, welcome to the wild and crazy ride you get when blogging with me. I keep you guessing like the ninja blogger I am.
As I've just mentioned in my other blog from tonight (see Zen Cat), I've realised that while we still have means to travel before we do grown up things like get a bigger mortgage etc, that I won't feel satisfied without seeing a few places.
The first is London and more significantly Paris, which we're going to do this year. The plans for that are going really well. I really want to make sure I see everything important to me in Paris while still have time to wander the streets and soak it up.
So we're there for 3 and a half days. The first day we're arriving mid afternoon, I guess we'll just wander around the Champs Elysees that day, up to the Arc De Triomphe (which I assure you I will lose my mind over seeing) and just the area around our hotel.
We've got four different sightseeing tours booked for the next three days - A minibus city sightseeing tour that includes going up the Eiffel Tower and going up to Montmartre (an area I've always wanted to see); an illuminations tour, to see Paris lit up at night (this includes a Seine Cruise - so does the day one I think!); a minibus guided tour to Versailles, and a walking tour of the Louvre. I know the Mona Lisa is small but I really want to see it, and I think the tour should help us get to to it. We have a spare morning or afternoon every day we're in Paris, so we'll use that time just enjoy walking around Paris.
I haven't organised going to the Moulin Rouge, because I don't think I like it, but is it a must see? Anyone think yes?
My parents in law are joining us for some of London, so we haven't organised that as much yet, as we wait to work out what we should do when we're all together. Aaron's Dad is from London so one day will be spent taking us around where he grew up, which I think will be amazing and really lovely for Aaron.
We have already booked a trip to Stonehenge and Bath, and we're waiting for the results of the ballot for tickets to Lords. *Fingers and toes crossed* (Though we expect we could still get tickets in the general admission sale if needed.) We're going to book a Jack The Ripper Tour, tickets to Rock of Ages and hopefully Spamalot, and we're looking at a rock 'n' roll tour that takes you around all these sites where famous bands recorded, played etc. It looks like a lot of fun, and Aaron just loves so many of the big English bands, he's really excited by it. We're going to obviously see Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, some of the museums etc.
We're taking the Eurostar between London and Paris, after the debacle on the Finding Nemo ride in Disneyland where I was close to causing an international incident when I started panicking because I felt so suffocated, I'm feeling very nervous about travelling underwater. Totally freaking out in all honesty. The rational part of me knows its fine, but the irrational part works out more and can beat the rational brain up.
So that's where that stands right now. In a good place - I'm excited :) (Also massive shout out to my sister, cat sitter to the star (Obi thinks of himself as an A-Lister) who'll be housesitting for us.)
Of course, because I'm who I am, an insane control freak planning obsessive, I can't just have one trip on the go, oh goodness no, that would be too easy. So I'm also putting together the trip for 2014 too. This trip is intended to really be the last time we go to the US for awhile (while we do grown up things, and not send my cat sitter sister to a mental hospital) so while it revolves around an escorted tour of Route 66, there's also a greatest hits element to it - with the intention we'll also go back to LA, New York City, Anaheim, and spend more time in Chicago and Las Vegas (at the start and the end of Route 66 tour). We'll also go to Toronto if my other sister is still living there, and she wants us to visit!
I have a rough itinerary already organised, and have already thought about hotels. Because I'm a dork who loves this stuff.
Anyway, that's the update on our plans. If anyone has any must see/do/eat suggestions, please share them!
As I've just mentioned in my other blog from tonight (see Zen Cat), I've realised that while we still have means to travel before we do grown up things like get a bigger mortgage etc, that I won't feel satisfied without seeing a few places.
The first is London and more significantly Paris, which we're going to do this year. The plans for that are going really well. I really want to make sure I see everything important to me in Paris while still have time to wander the streets and soak it up.
So we're there for 3 and a half days. The first day we're arriving mid afternoon, I guess we'll just wander around the Champs Elysees that day, up to the Arc De Triomphe (which I assure you I will lose my mind over seeing) and just the area around our hotel.
We've got four different sightseeing tours booked for the next three days - A minibus city sightseeing tour that includes going up the Eiffel Tower and going up to Montmartre (an area I've always wanted to see); an illuminations tour, to see Paris lit up at night (this includes a Seine Cruise - so does the day one I think!); a minibus guided tour to Versailles, and a walking tour of the Louvre. I know the Mona Lisa is small but I really want to see it, and I think the tour should help us get to to it. We have a spare morning or afternoon every day we're in Paris, so we'll use that time just enjoy walking around Paris.
I haven't organised going to the Moulin Rouge, because I don't think I like it, but is it a must see? Anyone think yes?
My parents in law are joining us for some of London, so we haven't organised that as much yet, as we wait to work out what we should do when we're all together. Aaron's Dad is from London so one day will be spent taking us around where he grew up, which I think will be amazing and really lovely for Aaron.
We have already booked a trip to Stonehenge and Bath, and we're waiting for the results of the ballot for tickets to Lords. *Fingers and toes crossed* (Though we expect we could still get tickets in the general admission sale if needed.) We're going to book a Jack The Ripper Tour, tickets to Rock of Ages and hopefully Spamalot, and we're looking at a rock 'n' roll tour that takes you around all these sites where famous bands recorded, played etc. It looks like a lot of fun, and Aaron just loves so many of the big English bands, he's really excited by it. We're going to obviously see Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, some of the museums etc.
We're taking the Eurostar between London and Paris, after the debacle on the Finding Nemo ride in Disneyland where I was close to causing an international incident when I started panicking because I felt so suffocated, I'm feeling very nervous about travelling underwater. Totally freaking out in all honesty. The rational part of me knows its fine, but the irrational part works out more and can beat the rational brain up.
So that's where that stands right now. In a good place - I'm excited :) (Also massive shout out to my sister, cat sitter to the star (Obi thinks of himself as an A-Lister) who'll be housesitting for us.)
Of course, because I'm who I am, an insane control freak planning obsessive, I can't just have one trip on the go, oh goodness no, that would be too easy. So I'm also putting together the trip for 2014 too. This trip is intended to really be the last time we go to the US for awhile (while we do grown up things, and not send my cat sitter sister to a mental hospital) so while it revolves around an escorted tour of Route 66, there's also a greatest hits element to it - with the intention we'll also go back to LA, New York City, Anaheim, and spend more time in Chicago and Las Vegas (at the start and the end of Route 66 tour). We'll also go to Toronto if my other sister is still living there, and she wants us to visit!
I have a rough itinerary already organised, and have already thought about hotels. Because I'm a dork who loves this stuff.
Anyway, that's the update on our plans. If anyone has any must see/do/eat suggestions, please share them!
2013 - Year of Zen Cat
Taken From http://icanhas.cheezburger.com
A work friend and I have a running gag about zen cats, a surprisingly often mentioned thing on the interwebs and in books. When we're stressed we'll talk about being zen cat and that's a sign to take a deep breath and try to relax or better, laugh about it.
I've realised that I have to put zen cat in full motion this year. I spent way too much time feeling stressed, anxious and miserable last year. "Stress Less" is my mantra for this year, I've even stuck that phrase to my computer as a memory jogger. Sure it's only five days in but I've already had a few challenges and I have been able to consciously choose to emotionally switch off from a lot of concerns.
An advantage of my head being a bit clearer from the small little dramas I focus on, I'm also finally getting some clarity about other, much more significant life plans, such as slowly preparing to look at a new house, and what we need to/want to do before we "settle down". Hence a big new trip for 2014 has been tentatively scheduled, because I need to see Route 66 before we cut down on the travelling, which is exciting.
Clarity is not something I'm used to, but I'm hoping it becomes very common place.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Obligatory New Year's Eve Blog - Highlights and Resolutions
2012, AKA the year the world didn't end...
I can't not acknowledge that 2012 had its lowlights, most significant - the death of my grandmother, but also my first overnight stay in an emergency ward and some recurring illness; moving from a job I honestly believed I was great at, to one I've totally lost all confidence in; to my family going through a lot of career and emotional trauma. However, I've decided I'd rather focus this blog on the good moments that happened, and the little surprises etc.
Obviously the biggest moments of joy from me come from my travels. This year saw another great trip to the US and finally booking a trip to Paris, a place I've dreamed of seeing since I was a child. London is also on the agenda which is very exciting.
My US trip , I won't mention as it has been well documented in this blog, except for the last day which I forgot to blog about. The highlight/lowlight of that day was me running into Joan Rivers in LAX and making such a fangirl fool of myself that I've not been able to watch Fashion Police, as I find myself wincing with embarrassment every time I see her.
The London and Paris trip will get its own update blog later so moving on.
So here's a highlight reel for 2012
- Going to see the Avengers on its record breaking opening weekend while in the US. It was really cool to be part of something that huge. Enjoying the movie so much was a good bonus.
- The Hoot Cake! I was so stupidly proud of this. It's the first attempt I've ever made at a character cake. Truthfully the first non-Betty Crocker iced cake I've ever made. It was so important to me that I pulled this off, yet after the 16th tantrum I thought it wasn't going to happen, and then it just suddenly came together (well as much as it could.) I was also super proud of the "churro" flavoured cake I made for Aaron's birthday.
- Oh yes, Luke Perry called me gorgeous. Yes, he'd say that to all the girls, but frankly I don't care, he said it it me. Meeting him and Gareth David-Lloyd at Supanova was a real highlight.
- The announcement that Weezer were finally touring Australia again! It's in three weeks and I'm so excited!
- My birthday present from Aaron, when he took me on the Cheetah Experience at Monarto Zoo, which allowed us to go into their exhibit and walk with them, and amazingly pat them. Sure I spent a lot of it really terrified, but it was amazing. Especially when they started purring.
- A new Bond film (yay!). Although my favourite film of 2012 was Argo. It was amazing - it balanced humour and tension so well... and Ben Affleck was really good looking in it... *ahem*
- I got Aaron to like a musical! We saw my favourite musical - Rock of Ages - on Broadway and he loved it too. (It greatly helped that he was rather smitten with one of the girls in it!)
- Christmas went super well. I made punch! I'm, like so totally domesticated.
- It sounds sad/silly/funny but I've found an Iphone game this year called Cause of Death and I'm so in love with it. The best bit was probably getting my sister addicted too, so we both eagerly await Tuesday mornings when the new episode arrives and we both babble about it. It's fantastic. (It's a crime, choose your own adventure style thing.)
- Manchester United won, New Zealand won a test in Sri Lanka and North Melbourne made the finals (then apparently there was a giant alien invasion and they couldn't play the finals game... I'm sure that's what happened, I seem to have gone hazy...). As for all other sporting teams etc... it's best we just talk about the weather.
- Storage Wars and Man Vs Food came into my life. Yes I like reality tv.
I know there's so much more but I can't think of them. I may come back and edit.
And how about those resolutions I made for 2012 - how did they go?
I can't not acknowledge that 2012 had its lowlights, most significant - the death of my grandmother, but also my first overnight stay in an emergency ward and some recurring illness; moving from a job I honestly believed I was great at, to one I've totally lost all confidence in; to my family going through a lot of career and emotional trauma. However, I've decided I'd rather focus this blog on the good moments that happened, and the little surprises etc.
Obviously the biggest moments of joy from me come from my travels. This year saw another great trip to the US and finally booking a trip to Paris, a place I've dreamed of seeing since I was a child. London is also on the agenda which is very exciting.
My US trip , I won't mention as it has been well documented in this blog, except for the last day which I forgot to blog about. The highlight/lowlight of that day was me running into Joan Rivers in LAX and making such a fangirl fool of myself that I've not been able to watch Fashion Police, as I find myself wincing with embarrassment every time I see her.
The London and Paris trip will get its own update blog later so moving on.
So here's a highlight reel for 2012
- Going to see the Avengers on its record breaking opening weekend while in the US. It was really cool to be part of something that huge. Enjoying the movie so much was a good bonus.
- The Hoot Cake! I was so stupidly proud of this. It's the first attempt I've ever made at a character cake. Truthfully the first non-Betty Crocker iced cake I've ever made. It was so important to me that I pulled this off, yet after the 16th tantrum I thought it wasn't going to happen, and then it just suddenly came together (well as much as it could.) I was also super proud of the "churro" flavoured cake I made for Aaron's birthday.
- My birthday present from Aaron, when he took me on the Cheetah Experience at Monarto Zoo, which allowed us to go into their exhibit and walk with them, and amazingly pat them. Sure I spent a lot of it really terrified, but it was amazing. Especially when they started purring.
- I got Aaron to like a musical! We saw my favourite musical - Rock of Ages - on Broadway and he loved it too. (It greatly helped that he was rather smitten with one of the girls in it!)
- Christmas went super well. I made punch! I'm, like so totally domesticated.
- It sounds sad/silly/funny but I've found an Iphone game this year called Cause of Death and I'm so in love with it. The best bit was probably getting my sister addicted too, so we both eagerly await Tuesday mornings when the new episode arrives and we both babble about it. It's fantastic. (It's a crime, choose your own adventure style thing.)
- Manchester United won, New Zealand won a test in Sri Lanka and North Melbourne made the finals (then apparently there was a giant alien invasion and they couldn't play the finals game... I'm sure that's what happened, I seem to have gone hazy...). As for all other sporting teams etc... it's best we just talk about the weather.
- Storage Wars and Man Vs Food came into my life. Yes I like reality tv.
I know there's so much more but I can't think of them. I may come back and edit.
And how about those resolutions I made for 2012 - how did they go?
1. Getting healthier and into a better
routine eating wise and exercise wise and cook some different things
(so far eating is better, exercise isn't)
2. Clean my two back rooms out
3. Solve a Rubik's Cube
4. Watch more movies
5. Cuddle a Koala
6. Not cut my hair (except for trims to make it healthy and for my fringe - that stays)
Um... yeah. I failed all of them. But my hair does have a nice side fringe now... and I'm planning on buying a treadmill. (Note planning, can't guarantee will!)
This leads me to resolutions for this year. I did come up with one which was to make sure I laugh every day, because laughing feels good, and I will try and do that, but I don't want to call it a resolution, just something I plan to naturally incorporate. And obviously, I suck at keeping resolutions.
I could always say the standard "lose weight, get fitter and healthier" etc, but I've worked out that's not something I can just flick a switch on, I still need to work through some emotional issues regarding that, so it's not a resolution.
I could always say the standard "lose weight, get fitter and healthier" etc, but I've worked out that's not something I can just flick a switch on, I still need to work through some emotional issues regarding that, so it's not a resolution.
I've been pondering whether I wanted to make anything else a resolution this year but it struck me, that there wasn't anything I wanted to wish for, or wanted to change. This belief isn't a lack of ambition or passion but I have an awful lot to be content about in my life and I simply can't think of something that's really missing. Also, I've realised that this year, a lot of my misery regarding my job etc was because I was trying too hard to control things or worrying too much about how well I was doing etc, instead of just having some faith in myself, and realising that life goes on, and things always turn around or upside down and it's so often that things that look bleak or difficult aren't, or even if they are, there's something else that will come along as comic relief. So, I'm not going to stress a need to want things outside of what I normally have (or the holidays I plan) or put pressure on myself.
I really believe that 2013 is going to bring some changes, I'm not sure what they are but I feel good about them and the year.
Hope that everyone reading this can reflect on a bunch of highlights from their own 2012, and have a 2013 full of new ups and all dreams come true.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
So much to write about, so little of it interesting...
I've worked out what gives me blogging block. The thought that I need to say something really interesting/profound/witty etc, that makes it worth publishing. So I end up saving a bunch of thoughts till I have enough to blog about it, and then by the time I get there it's a jumble of thoughts and too hard, and I give up halfway through a draft. I've decided to make myself a challenge of posting at least twice a week from now on, and they can be simple paragraphs about a tv show I'm watching, or essays on life and chocolate.
So it's been ages since I wrote. I'll write up a review of 2012, and the hopes/dreams/plans for 2013 after we know if the world ends Friday. It'd be a total pain to sit there and work out 2013 is the year I'm finally going to complete my life size cross stitch of The Big Pineapple if life is wiped out before I can start the project. For now here's just a quick run down of what's been happening in Courtney world.
- I was having a very difficult time with work a few works ago, there was a lot of uncertainty, I felt I was failing as a manager and as a worker and I was very unhappy. Things have improved, as I've got a better understanding of where things are going and I feel way more settled.
*Ooh an "I've spotted a shiny thing" interlude - Everybody Get Up by 5ive is an awesome pop song. I really like 5ive.
- Man Vs Food is my new favourite show. Of course it's not on anymore and I'm just catching up on old episodes but man I love it. American tourism and culture and ridiculously delicious looking food. It's a winner.
- It's a week to Christmas. For those who know me, Christmas is when meek, mild-mannered Courtney, turns into a crazed tinsel flinging control freak. I feel like I've not been able to spread my usual Christmas cheer to people around me this year which has saddened me. I've also been really conscious/guilty regarding how easy it is for me at Christmas, I can change decorative colour schemes at the drop of a bauble, don't blink when buying presents for people etc, and having the reality hit me that some people can't even eat at this time of the year, have no toys for their kids etc, and so many animals are abandoned, hit me hard. So I've been trying really hard to donate to charities, in the vague hope that I can spread some cheer to someone who could really use it or at least take the pressure off them worrying if they can eat that day.
*Interlude, I love the way Cerys from Catatonia rolls her Rs when she sings Road Rage...
*Oh Stephen Gately... RIP :(
- In news I think is really exciting, after spending ages umming and ahhing about what I want to study next. I've decided that I really want to study interior design, despite not being sure I have much talent for it at all. I know I can't draw! (Art was one of the classes in school I quit as soon as it become non-compulsory.) I do definitely have an interest and I do think I'd be somewhat good at it but we'll see how it goes. More on that in a future blog.
- Saw the latest Bond film, Skyfall - I love James Bond so much, and was basically in tears halfway through the film as it felt like I was watching a Jason Bourne film rather than a Bond one, but then it got really good, and had lots of nods to the Bond geeks like me. I was very pleased to have the character of Q back.
*A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton is a really special song to me, that, Complicated by Avril Lavigne, Hella Good by No Doubt and the entire Spirit Room album by Michelle Branch, send me straight back to my first trip to the US. Instamemories. Oh! The Greatest View by silverchair too. I don't like them at all, but that song reminds me of heading to Universal Studios on a beautiful summer Californian day, on my sister's birthday.
- The trip planning has moved on since I last blogged, airfares are officially paid for, hotels are booked, all the scheduled Paris sightseeing is booked, and we're slowly booking London sightseeing. Again this is worthy of it's own blog post so will update more about it shortly.
Um is that it? I feel like the last month has just disappeared, I've been permanently sidetracked but feel like I'm getting into a more cleared head. I have a week off from Christmas Day (hurrah for office shutdown) and I'm so looking forward to it.
Hope things are well for anyone reading this.
So it's been ages since I wrote. I'll write up a review of 2012, and the hopes/dreams/plans for 2013 after we know if the world ends Friday. It'd be a total pain to sit there and work out 2013 is the year I'm finally going to complete my life size cross stitch of The Big Pineapple if life is wiped out before I can start the project. For now here's just a quick run down of what's been happening in Courtney world.
- I was having a very difficult time with work a few works ago, there was a lot of uncertainty, I felt I was failing as a manager and as a worker and I was very unhappy. Things have improved, as I've got a better understanding of where things are going and I feel way more settled.
*Ooh an "I've spotted a shiny thing" interlude - Everybody Get Up by 5ive is an awesome pop song. I really like 5ive.
- Man Vs Food is my new favourite show. Of course it's not on anymore and I'm just catching up on old episodes but man I love it. American tourism and culture and ridiculously delicious looking food. It's a winner.
- It's a week to Christmas. For those who know me, Christmas is when meek, mild-mannered Courtney, turns into a crazed tinsel flinging control freak. I feel like I've not been able to spread my usual Christmas cheer to people around me this year which has saddened me. I've also been really conscious/guilty regarding how easy it is for me at Christmas, I can change decorative colour schemes at the drop of a bauble, don't blink when buying presents for people etc, and having the reality hit me that some people can't even eat at this time of the year, have no toys for their kids etc, and so many animals are abandoned, hit me hard. So I've been trying really hard to donate to charities, in the vague hope that I can spread some cheer to someone who could really use it or at least take the pressure off them worrying if they can eat that day.
*Interlude, I love the way Cerys from Catatonia rolls her Rs when she sings Road Rage...
*Oh Stephen Gately... RIP :(
- In news I think is really exciting, after spending ages umming and ahhing about what I want to study next. I've decided that I really want to study interior design, despite not being sure I have much talent for it at all. I know I can't draw! (Art was one of the classes in school I quit as soon as it become non-compulsory.) I do definitely have an interest and I do think I'd be somewhat good at it but we'll see how it goes. More on that in a future blog.
- Saw the latest Bond film, Skyfall - I love James Bond so much, and was basically in tears halfway through the film as it felt like I was watching a Jason Bourne film rather than a Bond one, but then it got really good, and had lots of nods to the Bond geeks like me. I was very pleased to have the character of Q back.
*A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton is a really special song to me, that, Complicated by Avril Lavigne, Hella Good by No Doubt and the entire Spirit Room album by Michelle Branch, send me straight back to my first trip to the US. Instamemories. Oh! The Greatest View by silverchair too. I don't like them at all, but that song reminds me of heading to Universal Studios on a beautiful summer Californian day, on my sister's birthday.
- The trip planning has moved on since I last blogged, airfares are officially paid for, hotels are booked, all the scheduled Paris sightseeing is booked, and we're slowly booking London sightseeing. Again this is worthy of it's own blog post so will update more about it shortly.
Um is that it? I feel like the last month has just disappeared, I've been permanently sidetracked but feel like I'm getting into a more cleared head. I have a week off from Christmas Day (hurrah for office shutdown) and I'm so looking forward to it.
Hope things are well for anyone reading this.
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