Category Archives: Blog

Spring Road Trips!

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RoadtripThis weekend Tys (my partner) and I went on a road trip with our friends to an engagement party. The fact that it was in Port Lincoln, an area I used to see / travel through frequently as a child made an already fun journey into something that was really nostalgic. The fact that two of our best friends were accompanying us and it was beautiful weather… it was a little sad to come home. Until we opened the door and saw our puppies, and everything was happy and joyful again.

Tys and I often get funny about engagements and weddings. I get a bit uncomfortable justifying the fact that we’re not engaged after all of this time, and he just thinks they’re stupid. But, this might have been the first time that we both really enjoyed it. I’m not sure if it was just a lack of the usual social pressure we feel, or the fact that we were on a road trip.

When Tys and I first started dating, he would have one day off a fortnight and that day would be spent in the car. We’d drive anywhere and everywhere to get his errands done, and just enjoy each others’ company. It’s a perfect time to talk and just be around each other. Doing this on the weekend with the beautiful Eyre Peninsula coastline stretching out around us just made it so much more wonderful. I also quit one of my jobs last week, so we both felt incredibly relaxed.

I might be back home, back to studying, working, writing, cleaning, and just basically adulting, but I feel more relaxed than I have in months. Spending time with that one person that I love more than anything and enjoying beautiful weather has left both of us so happy and content.

Now we just have to plan the next one…

Image source: Onedio

Reading, Reading, Reading

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Reading

The end of September and my first month of participating in reading challenges has come to a close. And it’s been a really fun experience! I have this incredibly frustrating habit of picking up one series, reading a book or two and then switching to another… by completing reading challenges, I’m able to find an excuse to read books that are part of a series that I may have put down a year ago.

I’m never quite sure whether my inability to stick to one series (or even one book at a time) is just a product of my own jumpy mentality, or whether it’s due to the hyperactivity of the internet and our current ideas. I’m the same with TV series, study, really anything. I tend to jump from one aspect to another without even blinking. Hence the fact that I have, to date, started (and not finished) sixty-nine book series. And I’m in the middle of thirty TV shows.

Needless to say, I have a little bit of a problem with jumping from fascination to fascination. Which is where the reading challenges come in. There are a lot of books and series that I want to finish, and it’s kind of hard to decide which one to read next. Sometimes I am in a really specific mood, and the decision comes easily. At others, I find it impossible to choose between one thing and another. Maybe this is my problem – there is so much that I enjoy and love, and it is impossible to decide which things to pursue.

I’m not really sure why other people like to do reading challenges. Maybe they’re like me and just have too much to read. Maybe they would like to read more and require a goal (I normally have to stop myself from reading). And maybe they just like the communities that you become part of by immersing themselves in such a community. It certainly was not my first aim when I decided to partake in reading challenges, but it was a great side-benefit.

And now that I have completed all of the September challenges that I signed up for, I am going to get started on my October ones. Certainly looking forward to it!

Image source: PrepScholar Blog

I’m Screwed

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Study

I had an assignment due today. And I haven’t even started it. I thought that I had started to think about it, so I had a bit of an idea about what I needed to do. But, it turns out that my case study has already been picked for me, so it is nothing like what I thought. Which means I’m screwed. It’s not getting handed in on time. I’m just hoping to get it in less than 24 hours late… but even that feels kind of unlikely. I’ve spent 2 hours staring at the screen and the template trying to figure out what I’m actually doing. Why oh why did I choose a business subject?!?!? I know nothing about business!

So basically, I’m screwed. Especially since I never hand things in late. I’m the girl who finishes major assignments (did I mention that I’m talking about a major assignment here?) a week early. Which is just freaking me out even more.

So I’m sitting here wondering what’s going on – am I struggling with this because I’ve freaked myself out by being so late? Or is it because I just generally don’t mesh well with business as a subject? Or is it just time to take a break from studying? I’ve fallen a little behind because of being sick the last few weeks, but also because I’ve been working so much. And, working and reading and writing has actually left me really enjoying life. So, I keep wondering where that leaves study?

Full disclosure, I’m doing postgrad studies and this is my seventh year out of high school and in university. My partner doesn’t understand studying – he’s a tradie. So I’m left with my own mind and decisions – when is enough enough with study? When do you say, I haven’t had any luck getting work from University, so maybe I’ll try something new? Which, since I’m not actually handing things up on time (and struggling for almost the first time ever), I am starting to question my future goals. The fact that there’s a mortgage and two fur babies just makes everything more difficult.

Alright, contrary to the title of this blog – I’m not actually screwed. I’m struggling with one assignment (and the end of a subject), but it’s not really the end of the world. It’s just a reminder that I think my world has changed. Study is no longer my first priority. And sometimes it’s a horrible thing (like today), but sometimes it’s actually kind of nice. So, maybe instead of freaking out about what I’m going to do in the future. And about whether or not I will be able to finish this damn assignment… I’m going to focus on just taking every single moment and minute that comes my way.

Image source: GuoGuiyan

Groups, Gastro and Guilt

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Guilt

Alright, so to start with, I don’t really have Gastro. I’m actually not really sure what I have, but I get results back tomorrow, so hopefully I’ll finally know. It’s really frustrating to feel completely fine (like this very moment) but epically shit (like 2 hours ago) all in a matter of moments. I’ve had to bail on a few of my shifts at work because of it which of course makes me feel guilty, and I’m sure that this then makes me a little worse too, but that’s a whole other issue.

And there is (of course) this nagging voice in my head screaming cancer. This is my psychosis – having a few too many people in my family diagnosed in such a way has left me slightly convinced that every time I go to the doctors, cancer will be mentioned again. After all, it’s been a few years since the last diagnosis…. psychotic, I know. But, because I’ve now spent the whole weekend wondering what my blood test will say (probably just something shit like Glandular Fever), the voice is screaming. Especially when I’m about to go to sleep. Which just makes it much much much worse because then I don’t sleep. Which makes me feel dizzier in the morning and… BLEUGH just BLEUGH.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before….

I HATE BEING SICK!!!!

But there was another moment of sick / guilt crapness this week. One that wasn’t because of work (YAY), but study. I was supposed to have a group assignment talk on Thursday. And I did really well, I got all the way to the bus stop. And then threw up. So I bought a DVD (as an excuse to get out of the car and walk around) and came home. Hence the doctors and the blood…

As I opened my email to tell my poor, poor group, I found an email from one of the other girls. There are four of us in the group, me, Girl 1, Girl 2 and Boy. Girl 1 and 2 have done basically all of the work on account of me being too sick and dizzy to really concentrate on anything (I don’t know what Boy has been doing). I’ve done bits, but, as I’m normally the group member who does almost everything, this was a really weird position to find myself in. And, that was before Girl 1 sent her email!

Basically, it was to tell us (me and Boy) that she was really pissed at the fact that we hadn’t contributed as much. Which, I think is fair… kind of, it was still kind of rude to send it on the day of the talk. We’ve had 4 weeks, why not tell us that she’s not impressed throughout the time of actually doing the assignment? Yes, I feel guilty because I was useless and horrible. But, there’s always one useless person in the group, and I would never berate them the way she did. It was actually so harsh that I’ve asked to not get grades for that aspect of the course to placate her. Stupid guilt.

Admittedly, guilt makes me do a lot of things I don’t want to. And it is really easy to guilt me into anything and everything. Something that my family is well aware of, and I’m trying to work on this…

Image source: Writers Bloc

Woops Wine

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WineSo I’m a little delayed with my post this week. Mostly because it was my best friends 25th on Saturday. Which then turned into a two day hangover. And a whole new set of bruises…

This is the trouble with wine. It is delicious, we have so much fun when drinking it, but quite often, the next day is a little more painful than desired. Having said that, it was a great night of the old hits (the benefits to knowing your best friend your entire life – you know all of the same music) and one of the guys pretending to be Chewbucca for half the night.

On the writing front for the last week – na da. I am so unbelievably behind in all of my studies, that doing anything for pleasure beyond sleeping, studying and working has been completely beyond me. Also the other reason why this rambling post is a little delayed… it’s hard to concentrate on writing about my week when all I can think about is all of the things that haven’t happened over the past week.

On a positive note though… SPRING IS HERE!!!! Today my windows are opened, the curtains are flung wide and my dogs are not covered in mud and clay for once. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE stay here! Not only because it is just far more enjoyable to be awake in this weather, but the warmth and the sun always seems to give me such a great energy boost. Which I am now going to use to continue with my studying for the day…

Image source: We Know Your Dreams

Nope, Nope, Nope

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So, this week’s been real fun… I’ve been sick. For the whole week. But not the so-sick-you-just-sleep sick. Or the can-soldier-on sick. No, it was the I-feel-fine-oh-no-I-don’t sick. And the nausea. The nausea has been super fun.

Although, on a positive note.. I have managed to finish off a few books that have been on my TBR list for a while. And I got to get some great puppy cuddles throughout the week as well. Nothing better than curling up with my fur babies to make me feel better when I just want to go cuddle the porcelain.

I’ve also been able to do a little editing on Aishe’s Arrival, which is something that I really need to develop some discipline with. After all, if I want to be a writer, I actually need to get my work up to a standard that I’m ready to share…

But mostly, this week has been sick, sick, sick. Which has been accompanied by Sex and the City (cliche much?) and a restless revolving through of numerous books. I’ve actually reduced it down to only reading three at this very moment! I’m sure that that will change in the next hour though…

The only other thing of note is that I have started playing around a little with the format of my website. Because, well, why not?

Image source: Rheumablog

I’m Joining The Circus

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So I decided at the beginning of this week that I would start writing a weekly blog about, well… anything that has come to mind during the week. Partly it’s for part of my Masters subject (Online Writing), but it’s also just because I need to work on writing more often.

So welcome to the new randomness that is my recapture of the week. I do apologise, because this one’s a little loopy… I’ve just finished a 40 hour work week, I’m miles behind in study (as usual), and I have found myself thinking again and again and again this week that I was going to quit and join the circus. Not entirely sure why, but I’m definitely feeling a little loopy.

I also decided to start a few reading challenges this week. Which is exciting, because I always like a good excuse to read a great book….

Image source: YSA Sydney