The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 5

Day 5 - A song that reminds you of someone

There are so many! Low, of course. That Blinded by the light song, haha. So many others. The one that first came to mind wasYellow Submarine by The Beatles. Years of business studies and art class sing-a-longs have left their mark.

The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 4

Day 4 - A song that makes you sad

Wake Me Up When September Ends was the first song to ever really devastate me. I also have a crazy emotional response to Set Fire To The Third Bar by Snow Patrol (feat Martha Wainwright) for some strange reason.

The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 3

Day 3 - A song that makes you happy

This challenge is going to be agonising, isn’t it? There are many songs that make me happy. At the moment, A Praise Chorus by Jimmy Eat World is making me happy.

The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 2

Day 2 - Your Least Favourite Song

Baker Street by Gerry Raferty. I loathe this song with the burning of all the firey pits of hell. Don’t ask me why, I can’t really explain it. But when I hear that sax solo, I actually feel physically ill.



I couldn't even listen to it to make sure this video is decent quality. Sorry.

Not the ordinary kind

My parents…are killjoys. Dad was vintage car shopping the other night, so naturally I got in on the action and loudly flapped about demanding we purchase one. Or really, trying to wheedle him into going halves with me on one.

“That cheap! It’s only $15,000 each!”
“What about that one? That’s nice. We can paint it.”
“Oh, get that one. We can fix it up. You can show me how to fix the engine properly. Just think, it can be our project. Wouldn’t that be fun? Huh? Huh? Come oooooon.”

I’ve been able to convince my dad of a lot in my life – I am, after all, daddy’s little girl – but here we come to an impasse.

Unfortunately, both he and mum are unfailingly practical on this particular topic. He’s more than happy to look at all the gorgeous vintage goodness and keeps showing me all the Mustang convertibles he finds, but then keeps being a downer in saying I can’t drive it every day and how expensive the upkeep would be etc etc. And then there’s mum chipping in with how much petrol the thing would take (also I’ve realised as most of the old cars run on leaded fuel, where would I even go to fill it up? It's all unleaded these days or, worse, ethanol.)

Sigh. They just rain on my parade.

I just want to live Marge, won't you let me live!?

On a similar note, a guy dad works with is selling his Impala. Selling. His. Impala. How is that not a sign? Now personally, they don't really do it for me - my heart’s been set on a Mustang since I was like 13 - but if an opportunity just comes begging, I’d settle for an Impala. Despite it being ginormous. It’d probably park the entire street in. Or as dad said, “Why do you want this old thing? It’s so big, you could live in it!” Which is actually a pro if you think about it because if I purchase a vintage car, that’s exactly where I’d have to live.

Actually, speaking of Impalas. I was watching Supernatural last night (how can a show so funny be so emo? You hurt my heart, show!) and got to thinking – in light of all these negative, practical facts my parents insist on bothering me with – how do the Winchesters even keep that thing on the road? I mean hell, petrol is expensive.

Also, not once in the last two seasons has it broken down. My car is 14 years younger than that thing, and if I drove it across country hunting demons all the time, it’d totally be a gibbering wreck. Driving 88kms a day in traffic is already turning it into a gibbering wreck. Oi, suspension of disbelief, please come apply yourself to my almost-vintage car as well.

If I hold onto Jack for twenty more years, I think he’ll qualify as vintage. There must be a nutter somewhere collecting Daihatsus.

Dear car, please come and park yourself in our garage. Thanks.

That one is actually perfect. Excellent condition, original owners, just perfect. So…how much can you get for a kidney these days? Ugh. I’m just going to sit here in the corner, softly crying. Don’t mind me.

This is what dad wants, just so by the by. He’s old-school rock n roll.

PS: I'm amazed I don't have a tag for Jack. Considering how much I've whined about him, you'd think I'd have a car appropriate post label. Hm.

Music: Kill Tonight - Panic! At The Disco

The 30 Day Song Challenge: Day 1

Saw this doing the rounds on FB and since Abbi has transferred it to her blog, I thought I'd follow in her esteemed footsteps. Besides, as we all know, a meme is better than productivity. I’ve actually scheduled it all to go up across the next 30 days in lieu of top 10s and such - I will still post randomly as per normal programming...sorry if any feeds get spammed. You know how it is.

Day 1 - Your favourite song

It’s nearly impossible for me to narrow it down to a favourite song – do you know how many songs I love? No? Well, it’s a lot. But I’ve decided to go with the first thing that pops into my head, and that would be Fairytale of New York by The Pogues and Kirsty McColl. I have in the past declared this my favourite song without real hesitation, so it’ll do.

Get off my lawn

Where do my weekends go? Actually, where does time go in general? I have none of it. If you see some, kindly send it my way.

So close to being on holiday and yet I am filled with horror at how much I have to do before then. Breathe, remember to breathe. Tonight alone, I need to draw another 2,000 words out of my hat - magically naturally - so I can have the full amount necessary for my meeting on Wednesday. I also kind of wanted to finish my editing assignment before I left, but that hasn't happened. Alas, alack, all that.

Not to mention all the people I owe emails - I will get round to it before I go, promise!

So what have I been doing with my time? Well, Friday night I saw Jimmy Eat World with L at the Enmore. It was her Christmas gift, and I think it was a lovely gig. They're really one of those bands that just nail those anthemic sing-a-long songs, and they played all my faves so I was happy. This is the first time I'd seen them in a smaller, indoor setting and it was so much better. Some bands are just not cut out for festivals or stadiums. It just loses too much in translation.

While the band delivered a great set, the crowd annoyed me to no end. We seemed to be in the crazy photo section, and if one more person stuck an iphone up to take a group photo, I was going to shove it down their throat. Also, people who talk during sets are going to a very special circle of hell. And why pray tell are people constantly walking around? What are you doing? Where are you going? Stand still, dammit! If you want to stand around drinking beer and yelling at each other, why pay $70 to see a band? Stay home, turn up their album really loud, and you can do that for free. And yes, I realise this makes me a jaded, grumpy old lady but still....get off my lawn! Or in this case, get out of my gig! And people are so rude. So fucking rude. You expect some pushing and shoving while at gigs, naturally, but I'm talking about common courtesy. Apparently it doesn't exist anymore. Bah.

Anywho. Busy, if generally unproductive weekend. Got hair done cause I couldn't stand the thought of a two week holiday (and holiday snaps) with the coppery mess it faded to. I like the violet hair, it's dark and subtle and you know, nice. But I do wish it had more of a kick to it. I got so many comments on the red, it was so much bolder, and I miss that. Vanity, I know. But anyway, it's pretty again, that's the main thing. I dropped by R's as well, watched The Princess and the Frog which is a lot like an updated Beauty & The Beast with ethnic diversity and accents. It wasn't bad, but I don't know if I was really that into it. We also watched another episode of My So-Called Life, which I am pretty much insisting on watching every time I'm over so I can shamelessly drool over Mr. Leto. Well, I say shamelessly, but it's really not. It's filled with lots and lots of shame. But oh well.

I spent today shopping with mum and spending money I don't have. Bought new jeans for the trip, and a cheap little digital camera that I can take places when the SLR won't make it in. Mostly, I just spent money on horse-riding gear. I've got some proper stuff now, including boots and jodhpurs. I figure as this is something I genuinely enjoy, I might as well do it properly. It's good exercise, gets me outside, and I have a great time. I'm pretty committed to it as my new hobby - only took me 23 years to wise up to it.

Next three days are going to be insane at work. Too much to do. Don't even want to think about it. I'll be working late tomorrow and Tuesday to try and get through it. Wednesday, off to uni. Thursday morning, bright and early flight to Christchurch. Aaaaand, exhale.

Music: Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen

Anticipation's on the other line

I wrote this on Wednesday but for some reason it never posted. But hey, here it is anyway.


I was sitting on R’s couch on Saturday both lusting after and bemoaning Jared Leto, when she asked me why I thought he was a jerk. Well R, here’s a classic example. He posted this link on Twitter this morning to mark the anniversary of Kurt Cobain’s death. That’s a nice gesture, right? At least I thought so when I started reading it. I was totally thinking ‘Huh, this is actually pretty decent of you, Jared.’ And then I got to the end where he just couldn’t help but chuck in a video he’d made. And this is where it all sort of falls apart for me because he does these things, and no doubt he means well, but it just ends up feeling like he makes everything all about himself. It’s grating.

So, anyway. Had a blast this weekend, cooking breakfast with M and R and commandeering R’s couch for the rest of the day, and spending time with mum on Sunday. Horse riding was brilliant – Centennial Park is such a great place for it, even if it was stupidly busy. Why are there so many people out and exercising at 9am on Sunday morning? Don’t they have beds? That aside, I think horse riding is fast becoming my favourite outdoor activity. I get to be outside, get a great workout and actually enjoy it. Win. Too bad it’s an expensive hobby.

Work is the predictable hub of chaos and mayhem, trying to get stuff done before I go on leave is proving more problematic than anticipated. Plus my intern displays an alarming reluctance to use the phone, so I’m not entirely sure I can trust her to follow up on outstanding material *narrows eyes* I’m sympathetic, after all I loathe the phone too, but unfortunately it’s a necessary evil in this industry…most industries, really. Still want a new job, but will worry about that when I get back.

Caught up with L last night – had the best burger ever, om nom. We saw Never Let Me Go which is various levels of depressing. So much woe and angst. Angst!

Um, um. What else. Worked late tonight and missed writers' group, have yet again fallen behind on emails, and have about 2,000 words to write for uni. Oh and readings to do. Ha. I always have such good intentions but really, I never paid much attention to those so far in my uni career, why would I start now? Eight weeks to go. Slightly terrifying.


Music: The Calendar - Panic! At The Disco

On the borderline

Sometimes I look at my life and I can't believe how much things change and how you don't even notice until you really think about it. It just sort of shifts under you. Like we're all just standing around on quicksand and everything you know, the relationships, the way you deal with things - all of it can just move and fold and change and disappear at any time. Things that meant the world to you at one point just shift into the background, or people you spent so much time with disappear from your life. Some people change with you, while others don't seem to think it's worth the effort. I mean, change is an inevitable part of life, but it's so sneaky. Whenever you stop to look at things, something's different. Maybe that's why I'm so obsessed with constantly moving-going-being. If you're always running, there's no time to look back.

Music: Boulevard of Broken Dreams - Green Day

My diagnosis

You are in a perpetual quest to find the new, the exciting. Emotionally volatile, you are known for sudden changes of opinion, of appreciation, and behavior. Following rules and established methods is difficult for you and the difficulties of higher education are usually quite daunting. Knowledge is best gained through an intimate association with the matter at hand. Usually driven by attitudes and desires of the group, you are talented in an established field of endeavor. Emotions come and go without a strong understanding of their causes. They are unexpected guests in an otherwise placid landscape. You live by your own codes of conduct, which can be noble or terrible depending on the individual. Authority is meaningless to you. You hate to be predictable, at all costs. Rarely verbally effusive, you can at times feel as if your feelings are too deep for words. You are very observant, but rarely express these observations to others.

From here. Love random personality tests.

Music: Bloodbuzz Ohio - The National