Saturday salvation

Ahhhh it's Saturday yet again! We have a busy, yet fun, weekend ahead of us. I've been having so much fun playing with Maxabella's grateful Saturday, that I'm doing it again this week.

Soooooo, here's what I'm grateful for this week:


* I'm grateful to the Chairman of the STC for inviting Skip along to a fancy lunch at the races today. A free 3-course lunch, a reason to get dolled up and a day sans kids? Yes, please!

* I'm grateful for loving grandmothers who adore their granddaughters and think that spending time with them (and giving us a break) is a whole lot of fun.

* I'm thankful for black peep hole shoes that go with practically all my race dresses.

* I'm grateful for Skip, who despite all the stresses and exhaustion of life keeps on keeping on.

Happy Saturday!

A fishy tale

I adore the movie Finding Nemo. I saw it at the flicks way before the kids were born and then saw it again when we were living in Perth and it was showing for just $2 (we were travelling and broke). 

On our last holiday, Lil-lil watched and fell in love and then watched it every single day we were away. She loves anything to do with the sea, so Nemo was right up her alley and welcome break from Disney Princesses and Barbie for us.

I think the thing that appeals the most is the character Dory. I can see a lot myself in Dory. I'm certain that Skip gets as infuriated at me as Marlin does at Dory. I can often be blindly positive, most of the time I truly believe everything is going to be just fine no matter how dark things are, which drives Skip mad at times. I always think that things will always just work out no matter how bad it seems, they have to. I can be terribly forgetful, especially if it's important. I can also just be plain silly, especially in situations where I'm not supposed to be silly.

The thing I identify most with Dory is her line: "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming." Cause what else are you going to do? You can't give up, as much as you'd like to sometimes. We just have to keep moving forward as that's what we're made to do.

Some of my favourite Dory lines and wise words:

Marlin: The water's going down. It's-it's-it's going down!
Dory: Hmm. Are you sure about that?
Marlin: Look! Already it's half-empty.
Dory: Hmm... I'd say it's half-full.
Marlin: Stop that! It's half-empty! 

Marlin: How do you know that nothing bad won't happen?
Dory: I don't. 

Marlin: I promised I'd never let anything happen to him.
Dory: Hmm. That's a funny thing to promise.
Marlin: What?
Dory: Well, you can't never let anything happen to him. Then nothing would ever happen to him. Not much fun for little Harpo. 

Do you have a film character you identify with?

Guess who?

This morning, I was minding my own business, just picking some things up at the supermarket. I caught a glimpse of someone out of the corner of my eye. 'Oh, that's, um, that's.... God, who is that?!' I thought.
Her name was one the tip of my tongue, but I just couldn't place her. Was she someone I once worked with? She looked like she could be a fashion or beauty editor. Was she a friend of my parents? Was she someone who worked in a shop I've been to?

It was killing me. We kept passing in the opposite direction in each aisle. Each time a stab of recognition hit me, but never enough to work out who the hell she was. Was I rude in not saying hello? Well, I thought, she's not saying hello to me. Should I say hello? What if she's someone from the telly and I make a fool of myself.

The torment continued as she stacked her shopping onto the checkout behind me. As I picked up my bags I took one last sneak-peek. Yep, I knew her from somewhere. Hours later I'm still trying to work how I know her.

When I was growing up, I always remember my parents bumping into people and chatting for ages. When we moved on, I'd ask, 'Who was that?' and they'd reply 'I have no idea!'. I could never imagine how you couldn't remember someone, I could remember every single person I'd ever met. My dad used to say that he met so many people in his job, there was no way he could remember them all. There's a story in my family, I'm not sure if it's true or not, but it wouldn't shock me if it was, apparently my dad was chatting to a lady in a hotel bar in LA. Certain he knew from somewhere he chatted on and on before he realised it was Barbara Streisand.

Now, it would seem, my brain seems to be kicking into the same genetic ways as my parents.

I hate it when people forget who I am. Being shy, I hate social things anyway, but there's nothing worse than meeting someone you've met a few times before and they give you that look. They crinkle their eyes and tilt their head and say "Ummmmm I don't think we've met..." It makes me want to scream!
So, for me to do it to someone else is highly embarrassing.

Not so long ago, I was walking down the main street of my suburb. I heard someone call out 'Corinne! Corinne! How are you?' I turned and saw a lady I did not recognise at all. Terror hit me as I desperately tried to work out who she was. I look at the two kids with her. Nup, nothing. We continued chatting for a few minutes and she finally mentioned my brother and it clicks. It was a someone who was a friend of my brother and we used to work for the same publisher, but I could swear I had never met her. Heard about her a lot, sure. But never met her, I'm certain of it. How did she recognise me then? I am losing my mind. My mind is melting and turning into my parents! Am I going to be one of 'those' people?

Anyhoo, if you know who the elegant, petite, well-dressed blonde in her 50s at the IGA is, please let me know!

Mind travel Tuesday

To be perfectly honest with you, I'd rather be almost anywhere else today than at home where I am. I'm a little tired, grumpy and in need of some 'me' time. I can't get away, so I thought I'd take a little holiday in my mind. Come, join me.

I would quite like to be here today:

Litchfield National Park, NT.

This is me sitting in Buley's Rockholes. Fresh cool water cascading over my shoulders, I'd sit here all day, only getting out to snack or get a drink. The trees provide perfect shade and, truly, it's one of the most magic places I've been.

How could you be grumpy immersed in this water? It's impossible!

When we travelled around Australia, this was a common set-up. Our car, cooker, table and chairs. Nothing else needed. No fancy tarps, trailers, generators. Peace and quiet, fabulous locations, solitude. This is five-star accommodation to me. I would love to transport myself to this spot. Basic, but bliss.

Our faithful Hilux 'Fernley' (named after Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall) took us to some of the most superb spots in the country. This time in our life was pure freedom. We would wake up and stay if we wanted or else hit the road and go wherever the wind blew us. Some days we slept under the stars and others we checked into a motel and washed the sand from our skin. Everything was stripped back, all we needed was fuel in the car, water in our tank and food in the fridge (we had a fridge in our car), anything else was baggage and superfluous. Days like today when I'm feeling a little world weary, feeling weighed down by chores, bills and routine, I imagine being somewhere like this.

 And, if I couldn't resurrect Ferns for one last bush bash, I'd love be sitting at this table at the Banana Leaf Cafe in Hoi An, Vietnam. Watching the bikes and boats motor past as I ate White Rose, stuffed squid and banana pancakes. Sipping local beer, a cocktail or pineapple juice.

Watching these ladies work, gossip and live life. Soaking in the sights, smells and sounds of one of my most favourite places in the world. Eating and living like a king for the price of a McValue meal.

Where would you like to travel to this Tuesday?

Grand plans

5pm, Sunday October 3, 2010. ANZ Stadium, Sydney.

Last night we went to the NRL Grand Final. It was the first Grand Final I've been to and, wow, what fun! We had awesome seats and the atmosphere was electric – the best vibe I've ever experienced out at the stadium (well, except for the Olympics). Neither of Skip or my teams were playing and we didn't really support either team, but it was a great night regardless. In the end I was barracking for St George as I liked them slightly more than the Roosters, which was lucky as they won. All-in-all, we had a ball and it was an exciting game.

After the game we headed back to our hood and had fabulous pizza and pinot, which capped off a great afternoon. Not a bad way to spend a Sunday arvo.

What did you get up to? Did you watch the game?

Go and play Point and Shoot with FatMumSlim.

I love a lazy long weekend

  

There's nothing better than being at the start of a long weekend. Three days to relax and spend time together as a family. This is what I'm grateful for this Saturday. It's already been good so far – last night we had a yummy dinner together at a Japanese restaurant and then came home and watched Love, Lust & Lies (the fifth installment in Gillian Armstrong's variation of 7-up series). This morning Skip and Lil-lil went to the farmer's market while Goosey slept (!) and I read. They came home with an enormous bunch of gorgeous stocks for me.

We don't have a lot of plans this weekend. But it will include:

Saturday: Barbecuing, eating, watching snippets from AFL grand final, watching the races, playing, reading. I think we'll even crack open a bottle of Veuve Clicquot to celebrate our 13 years together. Gotta be grateful for that.

Sunday: We'll have some family time in the morning and then Skip and I are heading off the NRL grand final. We don't support either team, but we got some very, very good tickets and neither of us has been to a grand final before.

Monday: We're heading up to my dad's place to spend the day on the boat. Hopefully the rain clears by then.

Hopefully it will be relaxing, fun and one to remember for all the right reasons.

Happy weekend! Join in the fun with Maxabella and share what you're grateful for this Saturday.

Lucky 13

Thirteen years ago this weekend, Skip and I started our life together. God, I can't believe it's 13 years. THIRTEEN YEARS! Wow! That's impressive.

All those years ago, we knew each other in passing, he'd once challenged me to a drinking competition (classy), I won (classier). This particular night 13 years ago, however, we ended up sitting at a bus stop chatting and smoking cigarettes until the sun came up. That was it. We were done.

In the 13 years between then and now, we've partied, studied, had many different job, lived in many different houses, we've circumnavigated the country, we've had losses, we've had gains. There have been good times, bad times, funny times and sad times. We've cheered together and gasped in shock together. We've grown up together. We got married. We bought our first home together. We had two beautiful daughters.  We have a whole vault full of precious memories.

I know that I'm a very different person to what I was 13 years ago, just 21 years old. I would never have or could never have imagined where we would end up. The life we would create with each other. We've grown and changed together. I can't imagine another existence than what I have been given. What Skip's given me.

Thanks, Skip, for the past 13 years, what a wild ride it's been. I love you very much, 100% (and I do know that you read this blog).