compile a 100-things-about-me list

58)I am now, the not-so-proud-owner of a cat. My ambition was to adopt a dog from the pound. I’ve never really been a cat person. I think dogs would make much better pets (they can play themselves, and aren’t usually fussy eaters). Also, you can play with a dog. However…

We were throwing food on our lawn for the native birds, the crows and the fruit bats. The house we live in is in a cat-infested neighbourhood. Anyway, this white mottled tom cat came regularly, and slept in the sun on our patio – no biggie. I can handle other people’s cats sleeping in my yard. But it was also nibbling at the ham and bread. Than one morning at 5am, my flatmate and I were woken up by “meow, meow, meow.” It wanted to be fed. We have done EVERYTHING to get this cat to leave! Sprayed water and lemon, and we didn’t feed it for 3 days, in the hope that it would go home. It hasn’t.

Every morning he wakes us up at 4:30-5am, then again at 7am wanting food. Then he meows about 5:30, then 8pm, and sometimes through the night. Bloody attention seeker. I hate it. I wouldn’t mind so much if he were friendly. He’s not. Stalin had nothing on this cat. He is mean and scratchy, and lazy. (OK, all cats are a bit liike this, though this one is extreme). But he is also very nervous of atrangers. He doesn’t like to be touched. Maybe he’s been mistreated?? He won’t play with the toys I bought him, and will yowl outside all night if I do the wrong thing. The cat has taken a shine to me, so it is ME it wakes and yowls at. It is only the fact that I believe in animal welfare that prevents me from kicking it, strangling it, or feeding it to the neighbours bull mastiff some days.

Then we come to his name. I didn’t want to name him. I don’t want him, though I must say I feel sorry for him. But I went to a friend’s overnight, and the cat was christened “Oedipuss Martin Pat the Frist” by my Dad, cousin and sister. Dad was responsible for “Oedipuss.” So the question arises. How do you take care of a tempremental cat you don’t want without losing your sanity (or sleep?) any ideas gang? Comments would be apreciated. Wish I wasn’t such a godamn animal lover. But hey, I might even get attached…. maybe.

There has been such a long break cos we have not had the internet in months. We still don’t have it, but I am using a cafe. And I lost my mobile for two months. I just found it last week (Well, someone else found it.)

57) I have learnt something about myself because of this experience. I am more reliant on technology than I thought I was. (I don’t like TV much, I don’t own a diskman, i-pod, playstation, plasma Tv, I-dog, mp3 player or X-Box.) I got my first Dvd player 3 days ago, and my computer is a geriatric 1998 model Pentium III. Which is pathetic for a 21 year old. But I missed the internet SO MUCH. I miss surfing and checking my mail and posting. It was wacky. Also, I was lost without my mobile, as I have every number I need, plus all my photos in there. I am so grateful to get it back, I tell you. And It’s getting to the stage where if something has to be cooked in the oven rather than microwaving it, I don’t buy it. I wonder how I would have gone over a log fire’s naked flame, washing my hair in a tin bathtub and sending letters by post? I don’t think I would have done so well on slow transport either. Give me tilt train anyday. (Though I Love steam trains too). Weird to think how technologically dependent our society is becoming.

54) I love watching documentaries. I don’t care what they’re about as long as they’re done in an interesting format .

55) The first Cd I ever owned was a Jimmy Barnes CD, that I pulled off the side of a cornflakes packet. I was about 8. Now I have a couple of hundred. The first CD Ibought was a “hit’s of the 90’s” classic. Lol.

56) I bought my first DVD a fortnight ago. Jarhead. Since then I’ve bought A Muppet Movie, Good Morning Vietnam and a doco. Also, I bought “The Life of Brian”. I love Monty Python. Now all I need is a Dvd player!

Roulettes

fireworks at riverfire

I don’t know what to write, so I’m just going to write whatever comes into my head.
46) I got the biggest cheque I’ve ever seen this week. It was my tax return, and they gave me back $1225. (I knew I was paying them too much, but I didn’t expect that! I wish I could count that as my “save $1000 goal, but it’s cheating a bit.)

47) The last time I cried was last night, when I was watching the movie “Tears of the Sun”. It had scenes like cutting off women’s breasts so they’d never feed their babies again. It was brutal, and I shed a quiet tear. Humans being cruel to their fellow men always makes me sad.

48) I will miss Steve Irwin. Despite not being a huge fan of crocodiles, I think animals ahould be protected. I’m an Aussie, and he epitomised positivity and zest. I feel sorry for his children, and I will watch the public funeral. (If he has one) I met him the first time at the airport, and even though he was frantically busy, he stopped and wrote an autograph for me and posed for pics. He was a top bloke.

49)I’m in the learning centre at uni, and the guy next to me has “she sells sea shells by the sea shore/woggle” written on his hand. And he’s drawing what looks like a cowbell.

50)I love meeting people from foreign countries. They are so interesting. I have a brazillian friend at the moment, named Nic. (Yes, I’m half way through!)

51) I’m trying to give up caffeine and it’s impossible. I never really liked coffe, but tea was my favourite. I went “cold turkey” and I miss it. not even for the caffeine, but that ZI can’t think of anything hot to drink!

52) Im really miss tea.

53) I had the best weekend. “Riverfire” was on. It’s an annual celebration of the Brisbane River. It starts with 250000 people cramming into the riverside, you have a roulettes show first. Then two military jet planes fly overhead and burn a whole lot of fuel so it looks like two low flying shooting stars. They go something like 1000 kms an hour. It is so loud, I would love to fly one. Then you get fireworks for 30 minutes with the whole city of Brisbane – the river, buildings, bridges going up in pyrotechnics, then the jets fly back over, burn again and go straight up in the air. It was great. Then they had an army band in a huge stadium singing classic songs like “Loveshack”, along with demo tanks, trucks and bushbashers. And there were markets. It was the most fun I’ve had in ages. And alcohol is banned in glass bottles cos they had an incident last year. all in all a great family night. Pics are of roulettes, the dump and burn and some of the firworks.

44) I love to speak in front of an audience, no matter how large. I’m not nervous. Cos I think, what’s the worst thing that could happen. So you mess it up. You make the world’s biggest mistake and stand there looking like a stunned mullet. What happens? the crowd is encouraging, and if you can’t do it, they applaud you. If you pull yourself together, and do it, they are so proud and give you a huge ovation. Not so bad is it?

45) I don’t define my self worth on what others think of me. What ever they say, it’s only an opinion anyway. I choose how I feel about myself, most of the time. I hate others who try and bring people down. The school bullies hated me because I would agree with whatever they said. I mean, how can you pick on someone if they don’t even care?

I want to be like my parents. I know this sounds like a nightmare, but my parents rule. I’ve written this elsewhere, but it deserves a mention in this forum.

My Dad was born in England, and my Mum in NZ. Dad went into the army, put himself through university (graduated and taught manual arts all over the world) – he’s now an artist with the most wicked sense of humour on the planet. My Mum went to teachers college and taught business maths and secretarial. She travelled too, and now has her own business. They met in Papua New Guinea, and raised their two daughters in Australia.

I think they are the best parents. Our upbringing wasn’t lenient, but wasn’t too strict either. It involved a lot of laughter and fun, but mostly, a lot of love. By allowing us to try things, we didn’t want to do them as we got older (we don’t do drugs, swear at old ladies etc.) Since then they’ve spearated. So what is it that I like?

I admire my mum’s faith, and her ability to put up with people at their worst and still see them as a human being. She likes to sit in the sun and have lunch, just like me. She’s generous, compassioante and friendly, but noy remotely annoying. My mum will laugh at jokes, even if they are terrible, and she’s a really independent woman. That’s what I want to inherit. She also had breast cancer, and I admire her spirit. The only thing I’d not like is the fact that she stresses a lot. Worries about everything. I am not a worrier.

I like my Dad becasue he doesn’t care what people think of him. He’s creative and always up for a laugh. It’s unbelieveable. I’ve laughed so much around him I can hardly breathe for DAYS I’m in that much pain. Also, he’s practical and listens to you when you speak. He is growing his hair long (Though I don’t like long haired men, my dad is cool.) He makes friends easily. He also has the tendancy to cause trouble without meaning to (Bloody Poms). Here’s an example.

My friend rang him up after getting into the navy (I’d LOVE to join the navy, but anyway…) Dad said that none of them were worthy of drinking with him (my dad) unless they could drink 16 pints of guiness or a similar lager. Of course, all you have to do is mention it to one person in the military and word spreads. His platoon arganised with the local pub to give free drinks to anyone who drank more than 16 pints. They had hospital wrist bands with stamps on them to record progress. So the sailors turned out to try their luck. Two days later the military hospital was full (One man drank 23 pints.) 47 people had their stomachs pumped and all of them went off liquor for 3 months at least. Everyone got chewed out by the leading officers. One guy was found 17 miles away walking in the wrong direction. The list of those who dared included four sergeants, 2 lieutenants and a couple of chiefs. It knocked out 8 platoons of sailors. (There were so many high ranking officers drunk they made them clip 100 metres of lawn with nails scissors as a punishement.) It is still the largest mass punishment the australian navy has on record. All because of my dad. I love my dad. He has cancer now too, but he is still kickin’. The only thing I’d ditch is the fact that he’s now bored. I want to still be doing things when I’m 60.

My parents though, mainly taught me that the world is your oyster. Be happy and you’ll go far. Cos everyone can be whoever they want to be – the only limitations we have, we place on ourselves. I LOVE MY PARENTS.

42) I have decided that I don’t really want to do an Arts degree. I’m currently reading “Death in Venice” by Thomas Mann, and It isn’t helping my desire at all. Maybe if I go back – when I go back, I’ll change degrees.

36) I am a bit depressed today because I am moving house. It’s not the actual moving that bothers me… I thrive on change, and am moving to a place where I love and have always wanted to live. I am upset because I am downsizing, and have to throw away a huge amount of my stuff. I am a bit sentimental, so getting rid of my expensive, but slightly damaged surfboard, old paintings and guitar was really hard. But the worst moment of the day was watching all my lovely wooden furniture being strapped to the back of a flatbed truck and driven away – My desk, the 3 metre shelves… sigh. Oh well, I’ll get over it. most of my furniture wil remain intact fortunately. They are going to a relative. And I really do need to get rid of shit. I have enough to fill a damned 3 bedroom house.

37) It really annoys me when people try and push me into things – whether it be a salesperson trying to get me to buy a new shirt or a friend wheedling for me to lend them money (when they earn more than I do), I hate to be pressured. I don’t mind the good natured pleading and teasing, but get really annoyed when it gets to the “I said no, are you stupid, why don’t you jump off a cliff stage?” And some people DO get to that stage with me. I turn my phone off regularly for that very reason when the hasslers try to call. I used to be a bit of a walkover as a teenager. I was a massive individual, but didn’t really think about the effect that doing things for tohers had on my life. If anything sounded reasonable I would do it. Now I have higher self esteem and I can say NO! Without being mean, that is. I just prioritise a bit better.

38) My dad called me a couple of hours ago and warned me there was a thunderstorm on it’s way (he lives two hours away from me). I immediately got excited. I love rain, and we don’t get it here often enough. Sure enoguh, now I can hear the thunder. I love wild thunderstorms. I was never scared of them as a kid either. I’d to curl up and read in bed, drinking tea and looking at the flashing sky. (I still do that actually) A few years ago I used to go out, stand in thunderstorms and dance in the rain (fully clothed of course). I first had the urge to do that after we’d had a drought, and it rained for the first time in 3 years. The whole neighbourhood went out and jumped in puddles that day. So for about a year after the drought broke I had an uncontrollable urge to get sopping wet in tropical storms (not dangerously though. Lightning is very powerful stuff.) I haven’t done it in a while actually. I also love sleeping in the rain. We live in a really humid area, so a storm is a welcome cool front. You can sleep better and breathe easier.

39) I have no idea why I wrote a bunch of crap about the rain. Other than the fact that I ramble a lot.

40) I wish I could make a living from “rambling.” (Talking to people and writing things down). In fact, talking and writing are two of the things I love most. I wish I could make a living from writing. But I know I would need to be a whole lot more talented and experienced than I currently am. Practice makes perfect I guess.

41) The strangest question I’ve ever been asked was by my old philosphy lecturer: “What do you believe exists in the fine line between pleasure and pain?” He was trying to torment me mentally, and make my mind hurt. I eventually came up with “Childbirth for many, is the greatest gift they can get, but causes them intense pain in the process, learning to do anything new and making mistakes can be hard but rewarding, and having to face the truth can be a burden or blessing. I believe those things exist in the fine line. Along with ice cream for those with sensitive teeth. Tasty, yet painfull”

I got a mild smile for that. But he must have liked my answer enough because he left me alone. Normally he did the whole “and WHY do you believe that?” It used to infuriate the entire 180 person lecture group. Please ignore the entries from tonight. A bit out-of-whack. I think I’m just a bit stressed. (Stressed for me at least.)