Open the box to find…
Yummy, yummy mini cupcake goodness from Little Cupcakes. Good for what ails you when you’re feeling crappy like I am today. Keen eyes will notice that there’s enough room in the box for two more mini cupcakes but I did eat them before taking the photo. The one with the tiny teddy cookie is a white chocolate cake and the other one is cookies and cream.
I can’t decide which one to eat next…
Trying to get excited about the fact that there’s only 13 days til I go.
Proudly presenting the newly redesigned Broken River Vineyards.
I’ve finally completed my first freelance site in ages. Only took about a month longer than I thought it would. But I didn’t have to worry about displeasing the client too much by how long it took. It’s my uncle’s vineyard. Keeping it in the family!
I’m pleased with it. I’ve finally ditched the tables I always relied on for layout and have divs and a CSS working the way they’re supposed to. It was interesting trying to explain to my uncle why it was important he have a web site that wasn’t all flashy and full of bling (why do the majority of non-web people want that crap?) and that something sleek and simple is always better.
Now all I have to do is get the official Proof site up and I’ll have no more freelance work to do. Except my dad’s web site – which I’m trying to avoid. Sorry dad.
43 days til my flight. Booyah!
In the last three weeks I have:
1. Irritated the nerves in my right shoulder to point where it hurt to breathe.
2. Jarred my left ankle playing kick-to-kick in the park with a soccer ball.
3. Slipped over and whacked my left knee. The bruise is spectacular at the moment. I also hurt my right palm from putting my hand down to try to break my fall.
4. Fallen off my bike. It was the first time I’ve been on it in years. I scrapped my right elbow, gave my right hip a good whack and will have matching bruises on the inside of both knees from the crossbar on my bike.
I am one banged up chick at the moment.
At least with the bike accident it means I’ve gotten it out of the way. I’m riding to work from Monday and I knew at some point I was going to fall off. Everyone who’s ever ridden a bike has had at least one accident. (I’m up to five significant accidents.) It’s done now. I’m also really glad I didn’t do the normal thing and put my arm out to try to break my fall. I probably would’ve broken my arm.
Whilst out having brunch with my parents a few days ago, the guy taking our order said to me: And what will you have, ma’am?
Someone called me ma’am. It’s all downhill from here.
No one else might care but I think it’s exciting: my name in a comic book.
1. What did you do in 2008 that you’d never done before?
Left the country.
2. Did you keep your new year resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
New year resolutions aren’t my thing at all.
3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Uuummmm… the fact I can’t think of anyone heavily suggests that’d be a no.
4. Did anyone close to you die?
Yes. And it was awful because it felt like it was a life that had been cut way too short.
5. What countries did you visit?
America.
6. What would you like to have in 2009 that you lacked in 2008?
Hhhhmmm… more money would be nice but realistically it’s not going to happen. Realistically, I think greater self-discipline when it comes to food and going to the gym would be helpful.
7. What date from 2008 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
September 21. It’s the day I left Australia for the first time. My longest flight before that was three hours. It was also the day I arrived in foreign country and was finger-printed.
8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
I don’t know. 2008 hasn’t really featured any major achievements. Still, one big achievement was being the lightest I’ve been in a long time. It’s not terribly significant in the grand scale of things but it’s still a big deal for me. And I say this even though I want to be more disciplined about going to the gym.
9. What was your biggest failure?
My inability to be more disciplined when it came to going to the gym and the food I ate.
10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
I tore one of the muscles in my right hip. It was unbelievably painful and an injury I hope to never do again. And it appears I’m going to end 2008 with damaged nerves in my shoulder. Yay.
11. What was the best thing you bought?
Toss up between my macbook pro and all the art I bought in Baltimore.
12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?
All my peeps in the States who made me feel so welcome when I landed on their various doorsteps. I’ve never felt so welcome by a group of people.
13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?
All those evil people in the world who think of it’s fine to exploit others.
14. Where did most of your money go?
On my trip and comics. I also spent a fair amount on clothing this year as well.
15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
My trip. I set up a blog to write about it. When it was over, I was crushed.
16. What song will always remind you of 2008?
Ampersand by Amanda Palmer.
17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
i. happier or sadder? Right now, sadder.
ii. thinner or fatter? But I’m definitely thinner.
iii. richer or poorer? About the same
18. What do you wish you’d done more of?
To be honest, I don’t know. I did pretty much everything I wanted to. Well, the stuff I really wanted to anyway. Some things had to be sacrificed for – you guessed it! – my trip. And I wish I’d had the guts to ask someone out but I didn’t and I probably never will.
19. What do you wish you’d done less of?
Worrying so much about what other people think.
20. How did you spend Christmas?
With the family.
21. What was your favorite month of 2008?
September
22. Did you fall in love in 2008?
Hhmm… if I didn’t fall all the way, I was definitely heading towards it.
23. How many one-night stands?
None.
24. What was your favourite TV programme?
Doctor Who
25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?
Nah, that requires too much energy. And besides, who need that sort of negativity in their lives?
26. What was the best book you read?
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman.
27. What was your greatest musical discovery?
Amanda Palmer.
28. What did you want and get?
A commission piece from Tim Sale and a colour pencil Green Arrow sketch from Matt Wagner
29. What did you want and not get?
I don’t know the answer to this one. If I really wanted something, I worked out a way to get it.
30. What was your favourite film of this year?
The Dark Knight, followed closely by Iron Man and Wall-e.
31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
On the day, I was at home sick. But the day before I went to see Wicked with my mum. Then I went out of dinner with some friends. I turned 36.
32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I dunno… Probably less drama and more trips to the gym so I could look my best. Also, staying longer in America would’ve been great.
33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2008?
Errr… the same as always? I don’t think I really have a look but I love my red sneakers and superhero t-shirts.
34. What kept you sane?
Not much.
35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Robert Downey Jr. Damn, he looked fine in Tony Stark’s suits.
36. What political issue stirred you the most?
The election of Obama. I’m not even American but I found myself caring intensely about it because it represented so much for not only the USA but the rest of the world.
37. Who did you miss?
My American peeps.
38. Who was the best new person you met?
All my American peeps. I wish I could see them more often but alas I am too poor for that.
39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2008:
Happiness can only come from yourself. You can’t rely on anyone else to do it for you.
40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I’m not going to live my life on one side of an ampersand.
I managed to scan two more of my pieces last night so they’re finally up in my CAF gallery.
Sigh.
Coming back to work hasn’t be a world of fun. I didn’t realise how badly I needed a break from it all. It’d been nearly two years since I’d taken a proper break that wasn’t just a few days. Of course now I’m left wondering what to do next as the thing I’ve been planning for and thinking about for the last fifteen months has happened. What do I do now? It kinda feels like I really don’t have anything to look forward to and be excited about. Plus I’m really missing all my peeps.
Perhaps it’s time to start planning for the next trip.
An idea is stuck in my head of once again venturing back to uni. I got curious and checked out what courses Open Universities offered and I found a Communications degree that offers a journalism major. Now the idea is stuck in my head and I’m seriously contemplating whether or not to enrol. The timing is wrong for session three (running from Sept 1 – Nov 28) but session four could be a goer to start it as it’s over summer.
I’m crazy.
I told myself after finishing my multimedia degree that I would never ever go back to school. However, right now I feel a really strong desire to re-skill. I don’t want to do IT support for the rest of my life but it’s really hard to get a decent job these days unless you have either a university degree or loads of skills. I was interested in journalism when I was still at high school and wanted to study it at uni but I was heavily discouraged from pursuing it (in other words, everyone told me I was crap and wouldn’t be able to hack it). I’ve always wanted to be a writer but I don’t feel I have the imagination for it. Writing for a newspaper really appeals because I’d get to write but it’d be factual so I wouldn’t feel pressured to come up with something.
If I did a degree through Open Universities, I could still work. It’s all online learning, which would really suit me. I’m also entitled to FEE-HELP so I could defer the fees (and accrue an even larger education debt).
Can I afford it? Do I really want to commit to something like this? How big a change do I want to make? Do I really want to put myself through the pressure of studying again? Am I having a mid 30s crisis?
I don’t have to rush to decide. Enrolment for session four doesn’t close until November 14 and by then I could’ve decided this is a crazy idea and I was mad to even contemplate it.
Ta-dah!
Upgrading did the trick and now I’ve got a spiffy new theme that I’ve tweaked within an inch of its life as is my way. If you’re curious about the photo (which of a Batman action figure from Matt Wagner’s Trinity comic), it’s one I took and looks like this in its usual form.
Haunted Knight
Anyhoo, I’m still ironing out the kinks with this blog and figuring out how it all works. But I’m sure it’ll be fun and I’ll acquire some new skills.
I’ve set this blog up so I can share my holiday experiences in a fashion that I want to. I could’ve done the easy thing and set up one on the many blogging sites that are around these days but no, I had to do it myself. My hosting plan isn’t supposed to include a database but they were nice enough to let me have one. The perks of being a long-time customer I suppose.
My trip is short, only nine days and I wish it was as longer but I’m just glad to be going at all. I leave Australia’s fair shores for America on September 21 and come back on September 29. It’s my first time overseas and I’m just a little excited. America was never my first choice for a overseas trip but the whole comic book obsession intervened and I’m heading there for the Baltimore Comic Con. Apart from Baltimore, I’ll be spending a few days in California before heading to Washington DC then onto Baltimore. Lets see how much I can squeeze in – plenty I hope. I’m going to be meeting a bunch of people from the Tim Sale forum I frequent, including the man himself and Matt Wagner. I’m hoping to come back with a few commissions from a few of my favourite comic book artists.
My mum asked if I’d be have a travel blog like my brother did while he was away. I decided I had to go one better and set up my own blog. So here ’tis. After much messing about, breaking it and upgrading it, I think it’s finally arrived.
Go team me.
Now to work out how to successfully apply a theme… But that’s for after I watch at least one episode of Life on Mars series two.