Look - back the very next day. Ok, we're updating for a bit.


Camping, Aire River

Highlights:

- Sitting round the fire with a good bottle of wine, a sky full of stars and absolute, resonating silence.

- The hike to the breath-taking river mouth, resulting in having to remove pants to wade through various water crossings.

- Sleeping in a tent for the first time in ages. The way the wind and rain sound on streched canvas, the way you wake up at dawn to the sounds of birds and how you feel and smell everything so much more. Its like your senses are awake for the first time, which always leads to writing that is twenty times better. I'd live in a tent if they'd let me.

- SHAMUS! So much shamus.

- Putting on my bikini solely for the purpose of flirting with the bogan boys at the campsite to steal their firewood. I returned 10 minutes later followed by 4 boys with their arms full of logs. Who said it wasn't going to work eh?

- The overall sense of peace and happiness i got from the trip. I staggered back dirty, grubby and with my hair wild, but i was just bursting with energy and a new sense of optimism. While i was away i managed to not think about anything at all and it was a relief and a half.

- The gorgeous cafe in apollo bay, the best food and coffee ever invented. Just absolutely rockin (could be that i was starving and caffeine deprived, who knows).

Lowlights:

- Disagreement with angry mob of european wasps and resulting paralysis of arms and inability to drive for quite some time.

- Drunkenly pulling a tent peg out of the fire, forgetting for a moment that metal conducts. Serious burn on my fingers.

- The rain. It rained like it was going out of fashion for a day or two. Made it quite difficult to cook or do anything really.

Trip to Flinders

Highlights:

- Beach and surfing at point leo.

- Ian throwing the tennis ball full pelt at a small child and almost killing him (i realise that shouldnt be funny but god it was at the time).

- MacShayne. Trying to sleep at 4am and listening to christian and ian yelling from the lounge room "Go MacShayne, look out he's behind you!!" and then followed by them standing to applaud. We'd had a slab, two bottles of spirits and a bottle of wine so it was hardly suprising. Then christian took out his contacts and couldnt see the screen so Ian was yelling "Now, theres a man entering the room in a blue shirt" Christian: "is it MacShayne?" "No the other one." And so on and so forth.

- Stealing a blind, old womans kitten. It followed us home and we thought it was so cute that we kept it. Then we realised we probably shouldn't and let it out but it wouldn't go home. The next day we had to call her up and make up an elaborate story.

- The salsa jar. I'm so glad i've got it on tape.

- Sunset over the hill

- The stars and lying on the balcony all night long.

- Drunken jam session and sing along.

- The supermarket and ian kicking things under the shelves. Long story but funny.

- Realising how much i love my friends and how lucky i am.

Lowlights:

- Having to come home.

- No shamus.


So there you have it, my little holidays. While i was away i spent a fair bit of time thinking about the concept of new years and new year resolutions. Its weird, the end of a year is so insignificant, its just a day, chosen esentially at random, yet people embrace it with such vigor and enthusiasm. The night itself made me realise that other people are as in love with possibility as i am. The way they all seemed convinced that this year was going to be better than the last (which is undoubtably what the said the previous year also) was almost scary. Its sad that we need a random day to stop and think about those things we aren't happy with and begin to change. Why cant this happen on any other day? As easy as that is to say, its true, people like to be able to have this invisable boundary to trap their demons behind, and to give them faith that change is possible. And i'm the same in a way. I wonder how many people have already broken their resolutions. I haven't yet, and i'm happy for that. Not just that i've put in the effort, but that its sincerely working.

My new years was not bad. Had BBQ in the day with all my friends, then went to a few house parties with the gang and then at about 2am onto andrews party. That was kinda fun but ended in tears the next day. Dont feel like writing about it much, because i just want to forget it happened. However it really was another one of those instances where i had the best of intentions, all i wanted was to do the right thing and it severly backfired. Still, these things happen and i hope its all cool. I haven't yet kicked the nickname of amber, and i dont think i will anytime soon. Never mind.

Been singing heaps, and my vocal coach seems to have big visions for me. He wont listen when i say i just want to sing, and really have no intentions of being a superstar. But i'm having fun, writing and recording and playing gigs. Music makes me happy. Speaking of which, BDO is soon. VERY EXCITED.

Anyways, i'm off to the gym kids.

P.S Jessie, did you get the book i sent sweetheart? Wasn't sure bout your address.

Ok, i know its well and truely time for an update. I've been kinda neglecting this blog but not without good reason. Laziness is good reason right?

Nah, things are busy times 5 at the mo and i've been away for a few weeks.

Will write a long blog very soon but just wanted to say (since i've been pestered!!!) that i'm still alive and well. In fact i'm amazingly well, very happy and very at peace. The new year, as arbitrary a thing as it is, has proved a good excuse to let go of the not so pleasant 2003 and begin a productive, fun, happy 2004. I've been camping and down at the beach, going to the gym every day, working heaps, going out, writing, playing gigs (yeah, scary, even singing!) and catching up with people. Haven't felt this good in a year.

In other exciting news, it seems as though 417 is going to be vacated just as me, breece and warfey are ready for a house. The timing couldn't be better. Its such a kickarse house and a kickarse location.

Anyways, no time to write much now. Promise to be more dedicated....ummm...next week...ah procrastination...

all my love x