In the name of balance - pet loves

For the sake of balance I thought I should get out there my 10 pet loves... 

1. Closet hippy - not much is better than staring out at the ocean and mountains, walking through a rainforest or sitting on the ground. I can feel myself 'earth' when I do any of these things (and that is very important to a person who never knew how to stay still).   Indigenous Australians are 100% right... Australia, and our land, is a very special and powerful place. 

2. A good sense of humour, a great joke or story... and even better, laughing hysterically to the point when tears are streaming down your face and you need to have a few minutes rest to catch your breath.

3.  A good hug from a friend you haven't seen for a while.

4.  Entertaining friends at my place... putting on a good feed and drinks galore, good conversation, reminiscing and listening to great music!

5.  Catching up with friends that you might not have seen in years, but when you do, it feels like you just saw them yesterday.  Oh, and making new friends.  Especially those that you feel instantly comfortable with.  I totally believe you are a reflection of the company you keep - obviously the company I keep is fucking awesome!

6.  Family... the most important people in my life!  Mum, Dad, bro's, cousins, aunties & uncles and grandparents.  The people who make my life so fantastic - and it totally is!  Christmas day is always the best day of the year.  I love eating and drinking far too much with the people I love most.

7.  Working hard... and reaping the benefits of a job well done.  I love what I do and would continue to do it even if I won lotto and was set up for life!   I'm very lucky, but I have created my own luck.  Once you know what you want in life, it's as easy as taking the necessary steps to get it.  I look at my business and how well it's going and know that it's only because of my hard work, dedication and persistence.

8.  Summer days in the sunshine at a music festival, in the back yard, at a mates place or the deck of the Suffo, sinking a few schooies with awesome folk.  

9.  My wonderful husband, Micko, who has enriched my life greatly.  Although I know I could live without him, my life is better with him around.  Finally I found the healthy relationship I was searching for.  A mutual respect, an understanding of our differences and encouragement to be the best people we can be.  He has taught me so many things... Patience, unconditional love and balance.

10.  Billy... The newest addition to my happy life.  Billy represents all the things that make living so worthwhile.  Loyalty, contentment, cuddles, love and loads of energy.

Oh and last but definitely not least, every single person in my life, right now.  You guys complete the picture!  Each of you bring something special to the table!  You rock the casbah!

Till next time we meet... my friends!

Doggy Do's and Doggy Don'ts

The 25th July marks 32 years service on planet earth (some might disagree believing I'm from another planet altogether but I swear it's true). Usually, this auspicious occassion is celebrated thoroughly with a bunch of good mates and a shitload of piss. This year, is a little different.

Every single birthday has had a party attached to it... and oh, they've been good! This year? It seemed there'd be nothing, nilch, nada! I thought I'd be spending it with Micko at home alone. I was planning on heading up to Byron and catching up with a few mates over a few cold ones at my old local, but Splendour is on (spend a few birthdays there) so not only will it be mad busy, but a few are heading out to Belongil for what I expect will be another cracker of a year. I felt like a kid whose been told Santa doesn't exist and so Christmas takes on a different feeling... There's no real excitement to it anymore. It's sparkle fades and although the presents are great, the magic is missing.

But out of the darkness, came some light... a little bambino by the name of Billy - a bitza 4 month old beauty. Micko knows what my birthday means to me and knew I'd be a little down on the day so he organised us to get a dog! We found Billy online, he'd been taken from his Mum and left to fend for himself in the depths of winter... they doubt he would have lasted another night out there alone. We rang immediately to inquire if he was still available. The lady, from the rescue centre, told us that he was supposed to be heading down to Sydney to a family next week. However, the family rang that morning to let her know they could no longer take him on - they had moved into a unit which was not pet friendly. She was devasted and said our call was the best thing that had happened all day. So, on Saturday we take the 1 1/2 hour drive north to Grafton to pick the little fella up.

Micko and I have talked of getting a dog for the longest time and we always knew that we get one from a rescue centre or the pound - it was a given. The hardest part is, once you arrive, you want to take more than one. In fact, you want to take them all home! Even just looking at the rescue centre website, it's hard not to think too yourself 'perhaps I could take 2 or 3'. It's a little bitter sweet... you are doing your part by saving one, but what about all the other beautiful dogs waiting patiently for someone to love them. You kind of feel helpless and that you need to be doing more.

So, Saturday marks a couple of milestones... My 32nd birthday, the first without a party, and entry into the world being a responsible human being. I'm very excited to finally meet our precious practise baby!

Both Micko and I are both dog people all the way! Besides the fact that I'm allergic to cat hair, I find cats scary! Their lack of loyalty, sly nature and unexplained, sporadic attacks make me feel on edge around them. I don't like them all of a sudden running out from under the couch to attack and scratch the fuck out of my legs... in fact I hate the 'surprise' element a cat brings. Birds aren't really my strong point either! I like birds... I think they are beautiful creatures, but one incident has marred my belief in my ability to care for them.

I once had 2 beautiful canaries - Rico and Rana... They were orange in colour and lived in a blue cage. I'd feed them and change their water daily and loved them to bits. Then, my partner at the time and I moved house. I put the cage in the outside laundry (which was completely removed from the house). A week or two later, I was shopping at Carribean markets in Melbourne with one of my best girlfriends. Shopping is one of our favourite bonding exercises and we were having a great time! I even had a psychic reading - was utter bullshit - even though I had a, quite visable, gold chain with a camera charm hanging off it, she leapt into a story that involved me being a nurse!?! 

Then we walk towards the pet section and I notice the bird cages... Something clicks inside me and I feel very cold all of a sudden (I'm sure my heart stopped momentarily). Fuck!!!!! My canaries! The colour drained out of my face, I looked at my shopping buddy and said 'Oh my GOD! The canaries! I've gotta go!' and I bolted out as fast as my tree stump legs could take me. I arrived home, ran to the laundry and there were my 2 beautiful orange canaries... upside down on the floor of the cage. I started to cry... 'I've fucken killed them! I'm a murderer!' I thought to myself. Then I flew into protection mode, if my partner of the time found out all hell would break loose. He had forgotten they'd existed so I grabbed the cage and hid it behind the garage. My girlfriend rang to see what the verdict was... I told her I was a murderer and had killed them and she started to piss herself laughing. Then I did the unthinkable - I started to laugh. Man! I felt like some evil bastard, cackling at the thought of my 2 dead canaries. I've never forgiven myself... although whenever I tell the story, I always get a good laugh.


You're probably all sitting with your mouth gaping open in absolute horror at my blasé retelling of the moment I killed two innocent animals and I can imagine you're now thinking am I capable of raising a dog? Well, I am... I've had many pets throughout my life, 4dogs, a few blue tongue lizards, a couple of stumpy tails, a turtle and my 2 aforementioned birds and the birds are the only ones that ever came to harm. Now my belief, surrounding birds is, 2 birds in the bush is far better (and safer) than 2 in my hand! Let me assure you little Billy, couldn't be in better (or safer) hands! I'm going to love that little fella like it was my of my own blood. Besides... with a dog, you can't forget it's there! It just won't let you!

The Proposal

Micko and I had been dating for a few years and were seriously considering marriage - a strange feeling - I'd never really thought I would do it. We'd looked at some rings and surprisingly came accross one that Micko liked on, of all places, ebay.

*** I should probably now explain that I have an ebay addiction and have banned myself from purchasing anything for at least 3 months. Some of my recent purchases include a totally rad Rage Against the Machine t-shirt that has the RATM symbol made out of the words of 'Renegades of Funk' - AWESOME! Also, purchased a child safety gate, a little wooden guitar antique brooch, a tea cosy that looks like a knitted owl from the 70s (useless but looked cool), a well overpriced ceramic green bull (I was drunk) and the list goes on and on and on and on! I could almost write an entire installment on 'Useless Ebay Purchases'!)***

So, back to the story at hand! The ring Micko showed me was fucking awesome and I loved it to bits. As Micko is a bit of an Ebay retard I had to put in the bids and we won! We got it for an absolute steal (well I reakon anyway) and were both pretty stoked. The deal we struck, was although I had seen it online, the next time I would see it was when he proposed...... well that didn't work out cause I hounded and hounded him until one night, when we were a bit out of our brains, he caved in and showed me. The ring was then hidden away awaiting resurface on our engagement... which Micko assured me could be at anytime.

One sunny early December morning in 2005 we decided to go snorkelling. This was an activity we both loved to bits and could be seen any fine weekend bobbing up and down along the rocks on the Brunswick River.

So this particular stunning North Coast morning, we had been in the water for a couple of hours and I was starting to prune up and get very cold. I had been picking up rubbish out of the rocks near the park to put in the bin - doing my bit for the community (the drain is just for rain peoples!!!). I told Micko I was getting out cause I was fucking freezing. He said, in a nasally snorkelling mask voice, "Before you get out, come over here and check this out!". Reluctantly I swam over.... He pointed under the water. I chucked my head under and saw a piece of rubbish he was holding... part of which was disintergrating before my eyes with bits floating off here and there. I thought to myself 'So fucking what?'... then slowly my eyes adjusted properly and the piece of rubbish was actually a sign Micko had made up and wrapped in glad wrap. It said "Will you marry me?".

I started to piss myself laughing and almost drowned. As I snorted out a 'HA' the mask filled with water and so did my mouth, lungs, eyes etc. After I'd calmed down a little, he pulled the ring out of his boardshorts, which thankfully he had tied onto the strap where the board comb goes and chucked it on my finger.

We went home laughing our heads off, made a few phone calls and cooked a big fuck off breakfast! The end...

Or just the beginining?