Songs for all occasions: Part #1

So i'm going to borrow an idea from the wonderful Steph over at The Panic Room - she recently madea tongue-in-cheek post about what songs she would consider having played at her funeral ( because she couldnt picture ever getting married .... ). I, however, have actually considered these from time to time and am going to make a list of actual choices i would make, if anybody asks me in advance. It might be morbid, but it think i've mentioned to my mother once or twice " Hey, can you hear this song ? Play it for me when i die! ". To which she usually replies " I'll already be dead by then! " . Yep - morbid. Anyhoodle, here's my list:

• " It Can't Rain All The Time " - Jane Siberry
• " Dance With You " - Live
• " Hallelujah " - Jeff Buckley ( or the version by KD Lang )
• " Walk On " - U2
• " Don't Dream Its Over " - Crowded House

And thats about all for now. There are others I have considered from time to time, but nothing that i can remember right now from the top of my head. I'd want something poignant, something that people would listen to and go " Yep, thats Amy.... ", whether it be because if the lyrics ( whether because they literally remind them of me, or the ideas conveyed remind them of me ) or for the melody and kind of song it is.

I cant help that i've actually thought this thing through - its just one of those things that scrossed my mind before. You know what else has crossed my mind? What songs i would played at any future wedding ( if indeed there ever is one... )

Watch out for wedding songs as the second part of this post!

I think Eight Is Enough ....

Alright, so its meme time again. I think its only fair that i do this one because the wonderful Miss Gates of If These Walls Could Talk has tagged me to do it - because i tagged her for one last week. It's a tag-a-thon! So apparently i'm supposed to make a list of eight personal things that you reader type person's dont already know..... crap. Here's what i came up with:

1. I eat the same thing for breakfast every morning - peanut butter on toasted grain bread. If i eat something different, say if i'm holidays or i've run out of peanut butter, i geta little narky and the day just isnt the same.
2. My hair falls out. Everyday when i wake up i run my hands through my hair and starnds of it will come away, or end clumped in my comb. Don't get me wrong, i'm not going bald or anything, its just that i have a LOT of hair and it apparently replenishes itself quite frequently. However, i found just a little gross that i shed hair like some kind of exotic cat...
3. My brother and i got into a physical fight once, when we were younger. He chocked me so hard he made my nose bleed. I cried and everything but, secretly, it was exhilarating. Fight Club anyone?
4. Because i dont drink milk, my nails are really brittle and constantly crack, break or peel. Gross.
5. Though i am completely anal about keeping DVD's and CD's in perfect, alphabetical and chronological order, this sense of order does not extend to my bedroom. If you stood at my bedroom door you would see my bed floating in a sea of clothes. They arent dirty mind, you just clean clothes that i dump on the floor, thinking i'll fold them and put them away later. I havent yet.
6. My first kiss was with a guy named Kenny, behind the girls toilets at my primary school. I think we were in fifth grade so it was one of those " shut your eyes, lean in, and pucker up " type kisses. From memory, i think their were about 15 other kids watching to see if we actually did it or not.
7. I did not vomit after a drinking session until i was 20 and half. Thats about 4 years of drinking experience without chucking up. I considered myself a legend until that fateful night.... its been all downhill from there.
8. I secretly want to try, just once, a nudist beach. Just to see if i had the guts. I'd say balls, but if it were a nudist beach it wouldnt only prove that i dont... hee hee hee.

Oh, wait, there was a second part to this meme.

• Tell me how wonderful I am before you tag 8 other bloggers

Well, SheenaBee, here goes - you are the most wonderful, gorgeous, witty, outrageous, compassionate, fabulous Saffa blogger in the blogosphere. You simultaneously make me feel jealous, appreciative, sad, happy, in love and murderous with rage. You are many things to many people but to me, you are a friend.

How'd i do ?

Now, can i name eight other bloggers who wont kill me for tagging them ?

1. Paula
2. Miss Em
3. CoffeeCup
4. Globus
5. Ruby
6. Lord Snuffy
7. SonnyVsDan ( although Sheena already tagged him... )
8. Anyone else who'd like to

And there you be - meme done!

We didnt get any chips!

So, i had my second kind-of, sort-of date with RNG today. Like i said, he lives in a small town about an hour-ish away from here and, seeing as he was already going to be in town, he asked if i'd like to get together for lunch of my lunch break. Sure, great idea - except i was kind of annoyed that i would have to be wearing my daggy work uniform. Dont get me wrong, uniforms are hot - if you're in the military, or a police officer or what have you. Not so much if you're an optical dispenser in a small time office. But i digress.

So we went to a pub just down the block from my office for some lunchtime pub grub ( dont you love the $10 lunch special ? ). It was nice - we sat in the bar and watched some English Super League while we talked. Again, there were very few awkward pauses ( only when we were watching a replay.... ) . Again, he bought me a drink. Or a beverage, as he put it ( too cute! ). Oh, and the meal itself was good too - excpet that we didnt get any chips! What good is mushroom sauce if you have no chips?

The goodbye, however, was a little more awkward this time. It could possibly have something to do with the fact that we standing right outside the store where i work, and i'm pretty sure my colleagues were sticky-beaking, but that was the only dodgy part. It did have me second-guessing a little but i have been reassured by my best friend that any guy who ask for a second date so soon to the first must surely like a girl. Agreed or no ?

P.S I am formulating a plan. More on this later....

View from the window ( Headspace 07.07.08 )

The streetlights turn on
Just as my lights turn off
The rain has come and
Caught me in its damp.
In it's downpour of
Thunder and lightning.
The air has gone cold
Sending a chill through my bones,
Cutting to my very core.
I wonder if i stepped out
Into the storm
Would it do the same ?
Would it penetrate my body,
Wash me pure, clean?
Or would it drown me
In it's fury,
Sweep me clean away ?

Kind-of, Sort-Of, Could Have Been A....

So when i said yesterday that i had hardly anything else i wanted to blog about - well, that wasnt entirely true. I do have something slightly different, slightly new, and possibly exciting, i just didnt really want to mention it in case i jinx something. See, thing is - i went on a date on Friday night.

Yep, me, the depressed person with anxiety issues who has difficulty interacting with new people went on a date. Actually, a kind-of, sort-of date - we didnt really put a label on it to be truthful. But from everything that went on and from my best friends humble opinion, it was a date. And also from what went on and from my own humble opinion, it was a date with a Really Nice Guy. Lets call him RNG for short.

RNG and i met online ( on a dating webiste that shall remain nameless ). He had just moved from the city to a small town not far from where i live and was looking to meet some new people. He sent me a message, i sent an email back and so on so forth. That was almost 6 weeks ago now. Now to be fair, its not like its taken us that long to get our shit together - he went on an already planned overseas holiday in between, so just after he came back i sent him a text and asked how his trip was : he said great and would i like to meet up? Obviously, there was more to the conversation than that but you get the gist.

So Friday night it was. RNG travelled the hour and bit from the small town where he is working and we went out for Thai ( i had mussamun curry.... yum! ). Considering that one of the participants on this date has a few social anxiety issues ( hi, that would be me ) there were hardly any awkward pauses and the conversation flowed nicely. Turns out we have a few key things in common - both into travel, both like football, seemingly a similar sense of humour. After dinner we went to see a movie ( " Hancock " which, for the record, was quite good ). RNG bought me a drink while i was in the bathroom and shared his popcorn with me. And, after that, the kind-of, sort-of date was over. No kiss, but a hug and a peck on the cheek accompanied by a " I had a really great time - would you like to do it again sometime soon ? ". Naturally, i said yes.

RNG texted me the next day to again say what a nice time he'd had and hoped i'd enjoyed it too. Naturally ( again ) i said yes. He has also texted me today just to see what i was up to and fill me in on the score of his rugby match yesterday.

And there you go, thats my news. So you tell me - are the signs pointing towards the positive ? Is RNG into me ? I guess the answers to those questions are yet to come, which means this general topic is a " To Be Continued ".....

Tag, I'm it!

So, i was tagged in a meme by Paula and, seeing as i have a very little else i'd like to blog about, i decided to take part. Read on:

Eight Things I Am Passionate About

1. Movies - yep i'm a huge film buff. I will also admit to being a film snob at times but that generally means i dont watse time watching Eddie Murphy or Martin Lawrence movies. The good films though are a form of escapism to me. I like to watch, ponder on and then disect films. I try to keep a current list of top 10 favourites and could list for you my favourite director, actor and actress. I wont though.
2. Fitness - these has become a passion just of late. I used to be " heavier " during high school, and even though i was relatively good at sport i wasnt all that much into it. Fell in love with going to the gym during my spare time in the USA and have just in the last three or four months gotten back into it. I try to go at least four times a week, five if i have the chance. I'm almost back to gym junkie status!
3. Blood donation - okay, i know this one sounds a little odd, but bare with me. I've blogged about it a few times before but i think donating blood is the easiest way to contribute to your community. I donate every 12 weeks on the dot and have also started donating plasma, and get a real high from knowing i'm helping to keep people alive. Unless you have some kind of illness or condition that prevents you from donating, you have no excuse not to...
4. Dressing for your body shape - just call me Trinny. Or Susannah if you prefer. I love clothes - its such a girly obsession - but rather than being all fashionista, i much more passionate about wearing what suits you best. I dont care whats in the pages of Vogue or Vanity Fair, i just want every woman on earth to dress to flatter herself, regardless of weather she is wearing last seasons jeans.
5.Relationships - be it friends, family, or lovers, i find it very hard to trust people. Thats why when i DO find people that i can trust, that i'm comfortable with, that i really like, i invest almost all of myself into that relationship. I'm extremely loyal, but if that loyalty or trust is questioned or broken, its very hard for me to trust again. This could be a bad thing, but mostly it works in my favour. It means the people in my life are the ones i love the most, and anybody else is dragging me down. Nobody needs a toxic friend!
6. Yoga - this kind of falls into the " fitness " category, but yoga is on a whole other level for me. I cant imagine my life without it in some capacity, and i am currently saving money so that i can train as a yoga instructor.
7.Travel - if only i had the money to do it more! My short term life goal is to visit at least one country on every continent before i turn 30. I'm half way there, but there is so much more i want to see, and experience, and learn. Anyone want to let me crash on their couch?
8. Music - this is probably on everyone's list, but like a good movie music is an escape for me. I'm still undecided as to whether i'm more of a melody or a lyrics person, but a brilliant combination of both will get me everytime.

Eight Things I Want To Do Before I Die

1. Learn how to make authentic bolognaise sauce - in Italy
2. Have children - dont care how many, but three would be nice
3. Grow my half way down my back, like i had when i was a child
4. Learn another language and at least be semi-fluent
5. Bought a house, but made it a home
6. Raised a dog from puppy to old age
7. Seen every Cirque Du Soleil production
8.Owned at least one piece of expensive designer clothing - there's the vanity coming out

Eight Things I Say Often

1. Bro - imagine it in a Kiwi accent ( i'm not Kiwi, its just how i say it ) as in " see ya later, bro "
2. Good Lord Claude! - picked this one up off my boss. Used most often when i'm exasperated with customers, management or computers.
3. Cack you later - shorten Aussie slang for " catch you later ".
4. What a mole! - thats my favourite light-hearted insult at the moment. Also quite often shortened to just " mole ", as in : " Did you hear what that guy just said? Mole! "
5. Jerk! - see entry above for mole, because its pretty much the same thing.
6. Freakin' boo-Jesus - variably either a term of frusturation or suprise. You jump out of a closet, you get a " Freakin' boo-Jesus, you scared the shit out of me! ". My computer freezes up, you get " Freakin' boo-Jesus, stupid computer! "
7. What a crock - of shit, that is.
8. Fella - used in many contexts, but its my favourite word instead of boy/man.

Eight Books I've Read Recently

1. Long Way Down - Nick Hornby
2. Soul- Tobsha Learner
3. The Memory Keepers Daughter - Kim Edwards
4. The Motorcyle Diaries - Che Guevara
5. Atonement - Ian McEwan
6. White Oleander - Janet Fitch
7. The Life of Pi - Yann Martel
8. I Know This Much Is True - Wally Lamb

Eight Movies I've Seen Eight Times

1. The Princess Bride
2. The Crow
3. Dazed and Confused
4. Rent
5. Empire Records
6. V for Vendetta
7. The Breakfast Club
8. The Lion King

Eight People Who Should Do This Meme

( crud, can i even think of eight ? )

1. Sheena
2. SonnyVsDan
3. Lord Snuffy
4. Miss Em
5. Coffecup
6. Ruby

..... thats all i got. Feel free to not to do it, but just imagine me giving you a disappointed, puppy-dog eyed, face....

Could someone please put me to bed?

Seriously, i'm tired. It wont stop me watching " The Amazing Race " before getting some zzz's, but I am tired. ( Incidentally, i almost wrote the title of this post as Can Someone Please TAKE Me To Bed, but thats a whole different invitation entirely ). Anyways, the past few days have taken their toll, sleepiness-wise.

After having my flight delayed almost two hours on the way to Sydney - and missing the planned dinner because of the delay - my roomie and i were up early for our conference. To be quite honest, i found most of the conference content to be pretty interesting ; since the departure of our national manager we as a staff have had a lot of issues that needed discussing. We got a chance to do that, together, as one big group at the conference. We also got presented with a whole tonne of statistics and figures that i wasnt previously aware of. If there was one complaint - and yes, i have one - its that i and my colleague felt personally picked on. Ever single negative scenario we discussed was done so using our store as an example. There was a lot of questions be pointed in my direction, many of which i cant answer; and issues brought up that i have been trying in vain to solve and i cannot hold much responsibility for because i have inherited them from previous managers. I wasnt given much of a chance to point out what we do well, nor were we given any appreciation for things that we have postively accomplished. There was a whole session of what felt like " Pick on Amy's Branch : The Pity Party - presented by Senior Management ". But hey, aside from that, it was almost bearable.

So after finishing up the conference ( late mind you, but what conference ever runs on time ? ) it was time to get changed and head out to the stadium for State of Origin. I was excited! No joke, for real, havent felt for a long time, excited. Luckily you guys are reading this to yourselves, and not having me read out loud - i screamed my little lungs out and have wound up with a sore throat and slightly croaky voice for my efforts. Unfortunately, it didnt matter how much or how loudly i screamed, turns out my team didnt hear and didnt follow my instructions to :
a ) " Go forward New South Wales !!! "
b ) " Do something it with it boys !!! "
c ) " Don't run it up the middle - spread it wide you idiots! WIDE!!! "

And nor did the referee heed my pleas to get the opponents back their 10 metres, give us a penalty when the ball was CLEARLY raked or to send Nate Myles off for a blatantly obvious dangerous tackle. ( Nate Myles and Brent Tate - dirtiest players in the league ).
Nope, none of that happened and my boys lost the game. Which means we lost the series. Again - for the third year in a row. But I wont give up! I was born a blue cockroach and i'll die a blue cockroach - on to next year!



NOTE: Thats a blue cockroach. He's dancing, thats why he's slightly blurry.
NOTE#2 He is awesome, and you know it.
NOTE #3 I catch an 8:15am flight home this morning and spin out! The flight attendant is a good friend of mine from school.... made for a good start to a new day....