How times change

Sitting here, trying not to shiver, ignoring the cold that is nibbling at my toes, my eyes stare mindlessly at the blank screen before me. A moment's break in the deluge of firecrackers that surrounds the cool night air provides just enough time for the mind to begin thinking of possible topics.

image by rech

The returning bombardment of explosions blasts away any fragment of thought the silence created.

Thirty five years ago, the first day of July 1978, saw the Northern Territory step up to the plate and begin self government. By all accounts it was a pretty momentous day for Territorians, as three month old child at the time, I can't say it really affected me one way or the other.

What does effect me though, is the fact that thirty five years on it is deemed necessary to celebrate said self government, with the igniting of fireworks. I have never really understood how the two went together. 

Of course as a child I didn't care one way or the other why we got to have a big fire in the driveway and burn a newspaper man once a year I just loved doing it. Cracker night, as it was affectionately known as, was by far one of my most favourite nights of the year.

About a week beforehand we would begin searching for some old clothes to make Guy with. Mum, a proud pom, saw cracker night as a great excuse to educate us on the history and tradition of Guy Fawkes. 

Again not overly fussed on the hows and whys at the time, just thought it was great mum encouraged us to spend the first week of the school holidays stuffing scrunched up newspaper into old clothes with the anticipation of throwing it all on a big bonfire. And quite frankly what child wouldn't?

Only I am not a child any more and things have more than changed.

For some reason bonfires in your driveway, in suburbia are just not ok. The hardest part of this for me to grasp is that mum hasn't moved.

Then there is the whole cost of literally watching your money go up in smoke. Albeit smoke with very pretty sparkly lights and lots of noise. My parents must have been seriously cashed up to put on some of the displays that they did. Either that or inflation has a lot to answer for.

There is just no feasible way I can justify buying fireworks. No matter how much I may love them. It is just a ridiculous waste of money, not to mention damage to the environment. 

Thankfully there are numerous public displays that tight pursed penny pinchers such as myself can go and watch. Then there are public places where you can just be and happen to see the free show. Just from a slightly different angle and a greater distance. 

This also means less crowds. Which I kinda like a lot. What I didn't like about the lesser crowd though was its percentage of idiots. Because it was not the actual public viewing location, the public is able to light their own firecrackers. Whenever they want. Some may say without thought or consideration to anyone else. 

We didn't witness any serious injury, thankfully. I totally understand how it happens. People are morons and just don't stop and think. We did see a few near misses

The other downside to our choice was getting there a little late. This meant only managing a vantage site from amongst some tress.

Which wasn't actually as bad as what I am making out due to the size of the display. The girls loved every moment of it and were oohhing and aching like they had never seen fireworks before. 

It was a lovely night. We picnicked on egg and bacon pie. Living on the edge I threw in a bit of cheese and freshly chopped spinach with onion and garlic. Total yumminess with quite a bit healthiness as well. Not quite the same as toasting marshmallows over a smouldering Guy though.

Are you a fire cracker fan?

Joining in all the fun

Normal mistakes and sorting oneself out

With the first week of the year officially over now life is supposed to return to normal. Whatever normal is of course. For me true normal is still weeks away. Which in some ways I kind of like, though others not so much.

The most obvious way I am not a fan of this current faux normal is the absence of Miss Eleven. For whatever peace it brings, it leaves a twice as big gaping hole that I am done with. In fact we all are. 

Even the bird and dog are moping around.

please excuse the blurriness of this photo
the photographer is only two years old
so really not a bad effort.

What I do like about the delay in the return to normal though is the way it is kept at bay by the fact we are on school holidays until the end of the month. I do so love having all the children around. They really do make such wonderful company, well at least most of the time they do. They are far from perfect and are not always model material but that is all part of the fun of growing up. 

At the end of the day whatever they haven't learnt is because they haven't been taught. As a primary care giver that responsibility to teach falls largely, though not solely, on me. One that I at times wonder if I give due consideration to. Without of course beating myself up too much.

While I may not like acknowledging it, deep down I do realise that perfection is somewhat of myth. It is not possible for me to get everything right all of the time. In fact I may not even get some of this stuff right some of the time, but as long as I keep on trying and don't get discouraged none of it really matters. Well most of it doesn't.

Creating that image completely reinforced that for me as well. Man did I make some mistakes before I learnt how to do it. Though even now it is not quite what I wanted. In my head the curve in learning curve is a lot curvier. Actually it is a straight out arc. I made one perfectly in the fontwork gallery of Open Office but I couldn't for the life of me work out how to transfer it across to pixlr where have developed a little crush on graphic design. (As you may or may not have noticed due to the odd little change here and there of late)

Even though my previous attempts at having a year of something have not exactly been roaring successes, they have not been complete and utter dismal failures either. For example when I dubbed whatever year it was as year of the writer, I might not have become instantly signed up for a book deal but I am still here. Ever so slowly fine tuning my craft and getting the words to run just a little bit smoother.

I am told that all good things come to those who wait. So wait a wee longer I will.

This time last year lots of people were throwing around words that they hoped were going to steer them through the year. I didn't have a list as such, in fact I didn't even had one. For me I was all about making life matter. I wanted to be the best me I could and ra ra ra.

It all sounded so very promising. Even I was convinced. So convinced I went as set up a new blog that would document my journey. Naturally none of it panned out the way I thought it would when I first thought about it. It never does, and really I wonder if we are ever meant to really get things right the first time round. If mistakes really are all part of the learning curve then by rights we learn more if we get it wrong the first time don't we?

I don't know. It all seems to make my heard hurt.

I want to find something to help me have a focus the whole year through. Or at least the first few months. But I just don't know what. 

Any suggestions? 

What strategies have you in place 

to make the most of the year before you?

It is Tuesday and I have blogged. So have lots of others. They like me know that means only one thing

#IBOT Baby!

A Sign of the Times?

Excuse me if I seem a little disjointed in this post. I am still shaking from a near on encounter. Actually all it really turned out to be was a severe case of a rather over zealous imagination. Still left me feeling a little rattled though.

Here's what happened

It is rather late (after 11.30pm) on a Saturday night. I had been tirelessly working on my layout revamp and decided that it was time I take a well earned break. I ventured out to my small front patio. There was a slight cool stillness to air. Just enough to take the stickyness off the skin but not really enough to drastically reduce body heat.

Anyway, as I sat there deciding which mindless electronic device I was going to whittle my time away on I noticed a car doing laps of the complex's car park. On the third time round they parked in an undesignated area. It is not a very large area nor was it ever really thought out well.

Despite a strong urge to tell the driver to park in a designated park I figured now was not the right time to play parking inspector.

As the car doors opened I heard cheerful banter of young male voices. Followed closely by the sound of aresol spray cans. Instantly I assumed that they were in fact trying to graffiti a parked car. My next thought was, that is wasn't just any old car but it is mine!

The more I listened the more convinced I was of what was happening.

I could feel my heart begin to race as I contemplated how I would catch these little vandals. Not ever being one to feel fear, and often lacking in common sense, I got up and turned the light on and stood in a position to clearly survey the situation.

Standing there waiting for my dog to realise there may be some action about to occur, I saw four bodies move away from the cars and head towards one of the units down the far end. I took in a breath as I went to call out to them, I was overwhelmed by the aroma of deodarant.

Suddenly through the fog of their 'shower in a bottle' spray I could see what was really going on. These young men were not here for some personal vendetta against my car or me. They were here to pick up the young women from number 17.

Quickly I jumped back into the shadows and turned off the light. I must remember more often it is not always about me.

Sitting back down I willed my heart to please stop beating so hard and fast. I couldn't believe that I had actually thought so ill of people. I know that society is full of undesirables and the world is not always a nice place however for the most part I manage to block these factors out and only see the good in people.

Tonight was far from that.

At no stage did I give these guys a chance. I am just so thankful I entered the realms of reality before I actually confronted them. I guess with all the crime and horror that fills the newspapers these days I am not entirely to blame for my over reaction.

Have you ever misread a situation as badly as this?

Nothing like a coat of paint!

As some of you may remember I have recently expressed a desire to make some cosmetic changes to my rambles. Well I would like to unveil to you the new and improved Random Rambles. I still need to add a few more widget/gadget things down the side but so far I think it is a step in the right direction.

I would also like the chance to welcome the 2 new recent followers and invite anyone interested in staying up to date with the crazy world I live in to either join the followers list or hit the subscription list.

I am also a huge fan of comments so please feel free to leave any thoughts you would like to share. Nothing like knowing people are reading to keep me writing!

Let's Get Political...

As a general rule I tend to stay away from political content. There are a few reasons for this. The first being is that politics takes a lot of brain power. Now I know that I am not exactly lacking in that particular department. Quite the contrary. In fact I am well aware of my brain's capacity I just choose not to utilise the majority of it.

Now I don't know why that is, but it is.

Anyway recent events in the political sphere has caused me to think outside my own little box.

Pacific Brands, the creator of iconic Australian labels such as Chesty Bonds, King Gee and Kasyer has decided to sack some 1800 Aussie battlers. These national top sellers are now to be manufactured overseas.

Naturally public outcry has ensued. After all the current economic downturn means need to support local industry is stronger than ever. With those in the know predicting an escalation of unemployment in coming years, possibly even months, one can't help but wonder why Pacific Bonds would want to lead the way.

To add flame to the raging fire that has union members up in arms here are a few interesting side notes that you may or may not already be aware of.

It has been revealed that in the past two years The Australian Federal Government has given Pacific Bonds $14.5 million. Now while on the surface that sounds very nice and is incredibly generous, it must be pointed out that this money was essentially that of the average Australian taxpayer. And nobody ever asked them if they were interested in investing in what has turned out to be not such an Australian Company.

Apparently Pacific Brands has been planning this move for 18 months. Which is only six months after the Government first started handing out fist fulls of cash.

Pacific Brands head honchos earn ridiculously high wages which were recently raised to even crazier levels. It escapes me how you could possibly run a company into the ground, force manufacturing operations overseas and screw over so many people while taking home such a huge slice of the pie.

A large proportion of Pacific Brands Australian workers are migrants and skilled only in the textile industry

I fail to see how brands that are supposed to be representative of the Australian way of life can possibly be made overseas. Chesty Bonds and King Gee are widely seen as representing the different forms the strong Aussie bloke may take. While Kayser has the sexy yet incredible practical and sensible Aussie sheila down to a tea. There is always something to suit everyone.

Now however these great labels will be forever referred to as sell outs. When the going looked like getting tough they got going before it happened. Far cry from being Aussie I say.

So for all those out to buy some knew socks jocks or undies with the soon to be paid second stimulus package... think again... maybe blowing it on the pokies isn't such a bad idea after all, just make sure to have a drink at the same time :)

Happy New Year!!!

So 2009 has arrived! Though I must say there was no bang to accompany it, at least not any near where I was. Rather than brave the crowds we opted for a quiet family event with close friends. Someone however forgot to mention the quiet aspect to the children who spent the night running around the garden screaming at monsters and ghosts.

The start of a New Years brings is often the time for resolutions and change. At least for most of the world. Personally I tend to avoid these like the plague. I love the notion of resolutions but the actual practice is something entirely different. Resolutions require dedication and commitment, both of which I am in short supply of. Not only that but the desire to change is also necessary and again I fall more than a little short.

Change, as I may have mentioned somewhere at some stage is not something I am really a big fan of. I know that change is important and it is in fact an integral part of life. Without change we become stale and stagnant. However, I really like the rut my life is in. I like knowing what is going to happen. The predictability and constants of my life provide me with a comforting stability that I don't really want to lose.

Having said that though there is a little voice inside my head which has been getting rather loud lately. No matter how hard I try it doesn't seem as if I can ignore the Wind of Change (WOC) for much longer. So it is with great reluctance that I publicly admit to the need for some personal change within my life.

In between the screams for adjustment the WOC has assured me that it is possible for things to happen slowly and with only baby steps at a time. In fact the WOC has had some very wise words that may actually be altering my deep rooted fears of change.

The first of these was that rather than use the word change I should think of it as growing or developing. This makes great sense as for the most part changes scare me, for some reason I have a negative perception of change. If I can alter my mindset as to what change is about then hopefully I will be able to begin to become more accepting of it all.

So I won't be rushing out with armfuls of resolutions, I will however take a few steps towards making a few modifications of my daily existence. I have seen numerous articles on how this is the worst time to actually begin such tasks so I will leave it a day or so before sharing with you what they will be.

If you are one of the many hundreds of thousands who have decided to make a change for the new year, I wish you all the very best with it. In fact to one and all I wish you all the very best for 2009.