Elizabeth December 31st, 2009

I’m in so much denial about this 2010 thing that everybody is talking about. I mean, can’t we all just calm down about 2010 and wait until Christmas has passed?

Hang on a minute…
Is that why people kept giving me presents last week?

I think I’d better accept that this year will be over in about six hours and say my goodbyes!

2009 was pretty good to Tim and I.  Our little house was full of friends and family, but there was also plenty of space for the two of us to just be together.  Both of us have had periods of stress in our jobs because of downsizing, but for the most part our work lives have been pretty fulfilling.  We’ve lived well, loved well, and we seem to have achieved some wisdom about what matters most.  It doesn’t get much better than that, does it?

Many of my friends, coworkers and fellow bloggers seem to want this year to be done.  So, for their sake, I’m okay with the clean slate that a new year will bring!

Here are my resolutions for 2010 (and beyond):

1. Continue to plug away at my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge. With 42 items on my list still remaining, and a finish date of 28 September 2010, I have a lot of work to do! There are a lot of “works in progress” in that total, so it’s still an achievable goal. And hey, if I fall short by a few it’s still a monumental achievement.

2. Write a grown-up budget. Not that there’s anything wrong with spending all my pay each month, and then living out the final 10 days on instant noodles… but I would like to buy a house someday…

3. Move house. We absolutely adore our enormous 3-bedroom, inner-Melbourne house and our huge backyard… but it’s time to start putting our money to better use. We have no regrets about the time we’ve spent here, but it’s time to move on.

4. Continue to improve my health. I’m an idiot for not writing about this already, but I finished Couch to 5K almost a month ago and lost a buttload of weight in the process! I’ve been given a glimpse into a life where I feel fit and healthy, and I want more. In the short term this will mean:

- Making running a few times per week a part of my routine
- Heading back to the gym and swimming lots of laps
- Fresh food that focuses on vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, fish, lean meat and tons of water. No fads!

5. Reconnect with that which is most important. I plan to set aside time each day to clear my brain of work, TV and Internet… and just focus on getting back to “me”. My plan is to rediscover my passion for my paper journal, and playing music again. I’m just not me without them.

Five resolutions is plenty for somebody who doesn’t normally make NY resolutions!

It’s exciting to have some clear goals in mind, and to imagine life at the end of next year if I have been able to improve each of these areas of my life.

Something tells me that 2010 is going to be great for me, and hope it’s great for you too.

Are you setting any resolutions for yourself this year?

• 101 in 1001 , Life
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Elizabeth December 30th, 2009

Part of my 101 Things in 1001 Days challenge.

My Mum and Dad gave us a little trip to the Sunshine Coast for an early Christmas present this year, up near Noosa. We stayed in a beautiful resort for 4 nights, slept in late each morning and had long, luxurious breakfasts beside the pool. It was nice to live the life of the rich & famous for a little while!

There was a tour desk in the foyer of the resort, and on our second day I had a browse through the racks of brochures on the walls. For some reason I was really looking forward to seeing the Sunny Coast through the eyes of a tourist rather than going to my usual haunts. I picked up a bunch of great brochures, including two for horseriding.

One of the two offered beach rides, and I was hooked! We were off to the Noosa North Shore that same afternoon, which involved taking our car across the river by ferry.

We were lucky enough to be riding with only one other couple, plus the two riding instructors, and it meant that we were all able to chat during our two-hour ride. The company was great and the views spectacular – particularly as a storm was beginning to brew in the distance.

My little fella was called “Chappy”, and he was the most docile horse I’ve ever ridden. In fact, that was my only real disappointment – I could have let go of the reins for most of those two hours and he’d have just followed his pals. Monkey see, monkey do… one foot in front of the other.

It was clear right from the start that I wouldn’t be able to go ahead of the group and have a little trot or canter. The other girl in the group had done lots of riding as a kid, but the guys didn’t have any experience. It was very obvious that if one horse was to pick up speed, the others would have bolted too.

It’s only a small disappointment really, as the whole experience was still wonderful. It was beautiful to watch the waves crashing against the sand, and wade through the shallows with Chappy. The wetlands that grew beside the beach was home to lots of black cockatoos, and we saw a couple of wedge-tail eagles hovering overhead as well.

From the far end of the beach we could see Hastings St clearly, and when we caught the ferry back to the mainland we decided to head there for dinner. There was just enough light when we arrived that we could see the beach we’d ridden along just an hour earlier.

Noosa was lit up beautifully for Christmas, including this fairy-light tree in the main roundabout on Hastings St. We found a great seafood restaurant to sit and eat, while complaining about our sore saddle bums!

I managed to cross a few items off my list during my QLD vacation, but this was one of my favourites!

• 101 in 1001 , Cool stuff , Life
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Elizabeth December 27th, 2009

This was an impromptu snowball fight in Times Square around 1AM in the midst of the blizzard Saturday night. The real danger wasn’t the snow and subsequent moisture destroying my gear. No, the real danger was shooting the mayhem with a wide lens which meant that I was a prime target. I had to put the gear down several times for some payback.

Doug Kim was there to photograph this impromptu snowball fight in Times Square last week, at about 1am. These are a few of my favourite shots, but check out his blog to see the rest.
His work is beautiful, and what an incredible thing to witness!

Doug Kim is a documentary and fine art photographer. His camera has enabled him to travel to foreign locales and to shoot for magazines, catalogs, newspapers, and non-profit organizations.

His work has appeared in the Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles Times, HOW magazine, the Christian Science Monitor, among others and he has shot for numerous organizations, including Harvard University Press, Space X, and New Line Cinema. His corporate work includes clients such as Pfizer, Honda, and SafeCo.

His first book Born Yogis hit the stores in 2005. He currently has two other book projects in the works with tentative release dates in late 2010.

He currently resides in Brooklyn.

blog.ricecracker.net

• Art , Cool stuff
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Elizabeth December 26th, 2009

I feel as though I have a stack of catching up to do on my blog right now. I guess with Christmas and my little trip away I’ve just been too consumed in other stuff to have kept this thing updated!

I have a bunch of 101 list updates to write, but before time gets away from me any further I wanted to write about those two little kids in the photo up there – cousin Trisha and I.

(I guess I always knew that one day I would end up posting topless pictures of myself on my blog, sorry for dragging you down with me T!)

I have no idea what’s going on in this picture…

My little cuz became a Mrs two weeks ago, and tonight I went through the photos for the first time. Here are a few cute shots of us getting ready, and her final few hours as a single lady!

Corinne, my co-bridesmaid, and her awesome lion mane!

Trisha was too busy laughing at us to strike a pose

The bridesmaids

My pretty ‘do

Bridey’s pretty hairstyle

It’s Chanel, dahling.

Schnitzel does his magic

• Family , Life
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Elizabeth December 26th, 2009

During our vacation earlier this month I took Tim to Shelly Beach.  It’s a little spot in Caloundra, QLD, where I spent many happy hours as a kid.  My grandparents lived two streets away from this beach for 30 years and our extended family usually congregated there a few times each year, for Christmas and other occasions.

My grandparents sold their beautiful little house 6 or 7 years ago and moved to Brisbane.  The person who bought it rented it out to bogans who pulled out Grandpa’s roses and put a BBQ on the front porch.  Driving past the house 10 days ago was really sad, and I’m not sure I’ll ever do that again.

Today is Boxing Day, and one year since we lost Grandpa to cancer.

I don’t know how to write about my Grandpa without writing you a novel.  In his own quiet way, he taught me so much about the sort of person I want to be, and to be around.  He will forever be the standard by which I compare all other people in my life, and the loss that I feel today doesn’t feel any less than it did one year ago.

You’d have loved my Grandpa.

Ten days ago I took the time to sit on the volcanic rocks at Shelly Beach and remember him.  I looked around and pictured me and my cousins as kids, picking up hermit crabs and building sandcastles together.  I thought about how lucky we were to have such an amazing playground in which to make these memories together.

Music is “Silent Sea” by KT Tunstall. Forgive my shaky iphone video…

It felt good to show this place to Tim.

The world lost one of its treasures 12 months ago, and I miss him more than I can say.

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Elizabeth December 26th, 2009

Christmas was lovely at The Orphanage this year. The three of us spent the day together watching old Christmas movies, eating our body weight in seafood, and snuggling up on the couch.  The shortest member of our family discovered a variety of delicious treats in his stocking, and spent the day working through them one by one.

Our extended families were greatly missed, but it was good to catch up with everyone by phone during the day.  I wonder if we’ll ever have everybody together in the same hemisphere again, as we did for Christmas last year?

I hope your day was lovely, and that Santa delivered the goods!

Merry Christmas.

• Family , Harry , Photo Posts
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Elizabeth December 21st, 2009

We’re home again, after one of my favourite holidays of all time!

Last week was filled with simple pleasures that truly recharged me after a huge year at work.  It was a special chance for Tim and I to spend some time together, and we had so much fun exploring the Sunshine Coast at our own speed.  It was especially great to share my childhood playground with him, and to rediscover it myself as an adult.

My Mum & Dad gave us this little trip away as an early Christmas present, following ma petite cousine’s wedding in Brisbane two Saturdays ago.  We feel very lucky!

It would have been great to spend Christmas itself in Brisbane with my family, but with the puppy in Melbourne it was hard to be away any longer than a week.  It feels strange that Christmas is only a few days away – such a contrast to our last one!  This time last year we had Tim’s parents out from the USA, and my family were almost due to arrive.  We hosted an enormous Christmas dinner at our place, our families met for the first time, and the house felt Christmasy through-and-through.

This year feels very different, perhaps because we haven’t had to plan it so far ahead of time.  I’m sure I will be in Christmas-mode by the 25th, but today I’m blasting carols from my office in the hope that it puts me in the mood ahead of time!

Spare a thought for my coworkers today.  I hope they are enjoying the Bob Dylan Christmas album!

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Elizabeth December 17th, 2009

I am on holidays.

I am so on holidays that it’s not even funny.

I don’t know the date, or the day of the week, or who our Prime Minister is. I only just barely remember my own name, but that’s mostly because Tim uses it to get my attention.

It’s wonderful. The stress of my working year is slowly melting, and I feel like a million bucks. This little trip is only a week long, but it already feels like a fortnight has passed!

See you next week, for lots of photos.

(I’m serious – lots of photos!)

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Elizabeth December 9th, 2009

Are you wondering how to entertain your kids during the upcoming festive season? Nedroid has come to the rescue with this fun colouring activity!

Occasionally there are days when only Nedroid can make me laugh…

• Art , Funny Stuff
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Elizabeth December 8th, 2009

This would still be a tragedy of monumental proportions if the Queen wasn’t in the photograph.

I’m sorry, friends. I guess I just didn’t want to go through this alone.

• Celebrities , WTF?
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Elizabeth December 1st, 2009

Un tour de Manège from Les Manèges on Vimeo.

I can’t stop watching this beautiful animation.  The colours are absolutely mesmerising, and despite being a 3D animation it feels exactly like a watercolour/pencil illustrated children’s book.

Incredible, right?

Thanks to Loobylu for this lovely link.

• Art , Videos
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Elizabeth December 1st, 2009

NaBloPoMo is over, Christmas is coming… it must be December!

Time to dust off some corny Christmas carols, Muppet style.

• Life , Music , Videos
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