New questions (AM)

I guess you think you know me pretty well after all these years. And you probably do. I love autumn and spring, I think of little aside from what I'm going to wear, what I should do with my hair and where have all the good hunks gone. If that is how you see me you have a pretty accurate picture. But lately something else has been creeping in and has taken a hold of my mind almost as strongly as my hair. It's the question of getting a cleaner. This is a conversation I have with various people at least once a week and if I'm going to be honest with you it's time you knew.

Until about a year ago I thought that getting a cleaner was something reserved for people that have really made it. Once you have the disposable income to spend on a cleaner you really have to be sitting pretty. But as Newbie grew into the kind of toddler that pulls everything from a shelf and then drops it one metre away the cleaning demanded for my house pretty much got beyond me. Now, I'm not saying it's his fault. No way. I'm just saying that keeping up with all the stuff he pulls off the shelf on top of washing clothes for four people, cleaning the kitchen after two or three meals a day and just general clean-keeping is really hard. Just keeping the house in a pleasant state is hard enough but how do you do things like clean the bathroom, do the gardening, dust the records? (Not a rhetorical question, seriously, how?!)

And I'm not saying I'm special, I talk to people with one child or no children and everyone is wondering the same thing, "Can I justify a cleaner"? I felt pretty inspired the other day when I was visiting a friend who lives with her 5-year-old son in a tiny one-bedroom bungalow and she told me that about once a month she gets a cleaner to come in and just give the place a really good once-over. I think this may be the answer for me but why haven't I done it. What is holding me back? Do I hate myself? Why can't I let myself be happy?!

If you need a more classic Miss Soft Crab conundrum here you go:

Do you think I should buy this jumpsuit? I kind of love it but perhaps I'm having a 4/10-life crisis.

Adult Themes (PM)

Casey Affleck identifies an adult

A couple of years ago I was driving down Punt Road worrying about whatever was worrying me at the time, probably some combination of something due at work, some bill I couldn't afford, and a need to make some appointments, when I thought "Gee it will be good when these things are resolved and I'm stress-free." And then I realised that it didn't really matter that these things would be resolved because being an adult basically meant there was almost always some minor stress and any reprieve would be fleeting. That's not to say that being an adult sucks, there are definite advantages, like being of a legal drinking age and being able to decide what take-away to have for dinner, it just also means there is always shit to do and not all of it is fun. And some of it is shit.

That said buying a house with your sweetheart, there's a problem worth having, am I right?

Buying a house does seem hard though, I mean there are all these different houses in all these different places with a bunch of different things to recommend them AND (usually) all only available to purchase in about a 20-minute window on a given day and not necessarily in order of your preference. So you have to decide how much you want to pay for each one, what price you will be happy with if it means you don't get your favourite place, and what value do you place on amenities, space, all that jazz. Ugh.

Personally I think in this day and age people place way to much importance on space. But I live in a house with reasonable sized rooms and a back yard, so who am I to talk. Having spent 3 years living across town from my friends, work and preferred hang-out places I can say that now being near all those things is way, way better. But you can get used to anything so I'm sure however a person decides to chose their house will be fine. We're here for a long time, not a good time, after all.

Moving (PM)

Even the good moves, the ones where you can leave a bunch of stuff behind at your parents house, are exhausting. They are preceded by all that packing and cleaning and I don't know about you guys, but packing and cleaning are two things that really make me want to go zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

The weird thing about sleeping in a new house is that all your stuff is there, but it doesn't feel like yours. That's what I reckon. But I'm not Doctor Move, so don't take that as the definitive answer.

Regardless, I can't wait to visit the new house! In addition to coming over when I am invited, I am also going to do the old drop in with afternoon sometimes. I love doing the old drop-in.

Before I go,  I just want to show you all the new household accessory I got for my birthday.

Isn't it great? It's both a very pretty thing AND it helps me feel like an adult because it's a place to keep my keys. Thanks G-Force.

Stop to smell the roses (PM)

I have a SharpAz too. I got J to get me one when they were on sale at that place for $10.
Here is a picture of my SharpAz next to the giant letter K that Legsley and Miguel gave my for my birthday, so you know it's really mine.

Incidentally, having a giant letter K is one of my favourite things about home.
I suspect if I had a 3D TV, I wouldn't give a shit about my K, because lets face it people, it's just a letter K made out of wood and not a 3D TV that can make confetti rain on my roof and gymnastic men come at me from the screen. What is a wooden letter when miracles like that are happening?
But as it stands, I just have a regular TV so that K and I have many more good times ahead of us.

Stop to smell the roses (AM)

For the last couple of months I've been house sitting. In bigger, nicer houses than mine, and in preferable locations. And not in the kind of proximity to my parents that makes everyday a struggle against regression. And in many ways it has been really nice. All the space, light, effective and thorough heating, kitchen bench space, dish washers, accessible bins. Yep, it has been quite luxurious. But on the weekend we moved home. Home to a freezing kitchen and bathroom, limited space and a daily struggle against regression. But what coming home to all this has shown me, is that despite all these shortcomings, home is pretty good. 

First of all, I was reunited with my beautiful grater, SharpAz.

I stumbled across this grater one day at a time in my life when I was dissatisfied with my grater and this baby was on sale; $10 reduced from $29.95. Well it didn't seem like much of a gamble, and I am telling you that until you have grated with this, well, you haven't grated. It makes grating a pleasure! A pleasure, people! I used to hate grating, but not since SharpAz came into my life. And when I grated my first vegetable in two months on SharpAz last Saturday night, well it was then that I knew I was home. 

You know what else was nice, just being able to wear anything I owned. Just choose any piece of clothing from my wardrobe. Anything at all. It was all at my finger tips.That was pretty luxurious.

Also, my house has a nice view. Out the bathroom window I see cargo ships on the water. They really make my day. I don't know what it is but I effing love the sight of cargo ships. 

Plus, you know that proximity to my parents? Well it also makes me proximal to their 3D TV. Sure, this is usually no big deal, but did you know that the Olympics are being shown in 3D? Do you know how effing good that looks? Apparently my mum saw confetti in 3D during the opening ceremony and thought rain was coming in the roof. 

 HAHAHAHA.

 

I watched some of the men's gymnastics in 3D. Do you know how good at gymnastics those guys are? Really good! But they are so much better in 3D. And when you are watching, say, a guy performing on the rings and then someone else does some handsprings in front of him, you just see that second guy, 3D handspringing away in front of you. Look, this is a really visual experience, it is hard to describe it in words, so let me just say that when I was watching it I just had this big stupid grin on my face the entire time.

I guess that being away from home just made me realise that home is pretty nice, even if you think its not that great.