Goals, Revisited

Back in December I posted a list of things I hoped to achieve during the summer holidays. Now that I have one week to go until the new school year starts, I thought I would take a look back at my list and see if I achieved everything on it...

<> sleeping in Check! I have indeed done an awful lot of that these holidays. The dreaded insomnia has still been hanging around of course, but it's much less stressful being awake at 2am and knowing I can sleep in, as opposed to knowing I have to get up in 4 hours for work.

<> gardening Check...but not as much as I would have liked. I had a great harvest from my vegie garden, but a combination of the heat and being struck down by laziness meant I didn't do all the things I had planned. Ah well.

<> hopefully, a camping trip No, alas. Just didn't happen. I am hoping to go during the Easter holidays.

<> a roadtrip to Hobart with my best friend, Madam Mojito or MM as she shall henceforth be known, to see my favourite band, the Dresden Dolls, live Yep! We had a blast. I blogged about it here. Here's another photo from the concert, taken by Jude. I look very happy, which is understandable given our close proximity to the stage!

<> reading for hours I have definitely achieved this one! Many happy hours have been spent on scorching hot days, lying in front of the fan with a book. I'm currently reading the Southern Vampire Mysteries by Charlaine Harris, upon which the TV series True Blood (my current addiction) is based. They are proving to be just as addictive as the show and my record is devouring one in a single evening/night.

<> sewing my mini bears Done! I've also branched out and started making soaps and candles, and have my first market- the Longford Maker's Market- lined up for next Sunday. I'm very busy getting everything ready for it. Here are a few of my wares...

<> taking the dogs to the beach for the first time. Not yet-but it looks like  I will head out to Mum and Dad's for a night next week and cross that one off the list.

<> getting ready for a new class next year! Sort of...I don't feel as organised as I would like to. But I'm going into school with the other Kinder teachers on Monday to do some setting up and I'm sure I'll feel better after that. I keep reminding myself that I always feel slightly panicky and underprepared when a new school year looms, and that it always comes together in the end.

As well as all of that, I've also caught up with a few dear friends who have left Tassie and were home visiting family, spent lots of time walking ze dogs, accompanied by ze cat, and cleaned out cupboards (thrilling).

It's been a great holiday and I feel rested and recharged, which was my main goal.

Three Days, Two Islands...Part Two

My parents are amazing. They are very outdoorsy, adventuresome souls who do a lot of bushwalking, kayaking, abseiling etc and I grew up loving those things too. In 2010 they spent several months as the caretakers on Maatsuyker Island for Parks and Wildlife. They were the only people on the island and had to take all their food and supplies with them and were very busy sending weather reports, doing maintenance work on the caretaker houses and lighthouses, etc. Last year they did a similar stint on Bruny Island and are back there again for six weeks. After bidding farewell to Hobart and Jude, Georgie and I set off to visit them. First step was to drive to Kettering and take the ferry across to the island. The drive seemed pretty short as we did lots of catching up in the car and laughed a lot. Here's beautiful Georgie on the ferry.

Once we arrived on the island we had another drive ahead of us- all the way to the other end of the island to the National Park, where Mum and Dad are living in the caretaker's cottage at the foot of the lighthouse. As we zipped along past paddocks and sheep, with no ocean in sight, I remarked to Georgie, "Wow, I can't believe we're on an island." She replied, "Um, we were just on an island, remember?" Oops. Sometimes I forget that Tasmania is an island itself.

After a few stops, including one at the fudge factory to buy gifts for our menfolk back home, we arrived in the National Park and began driving along a dirt road. The drive seemed so long and into nowhere that we began to get a little nervous that we were going the wrong way. However, once we caught sight of the lighthouse we knew we were on track. We arrived at the caretaker cottage and were greeted by my parents, who were waving off some tourists. People arrive to see the lighthouse all day every day and part of Mum and Dad's role is to answer any questions and let them into the small museum. It was great to see Mum and Dad. They showed us the cottage and then Mum asked if we wanted a room each, or if we'd rather "share one and giggle all night". We chose the second option, partly so we could indeed giggle all night if we so desired, but also because as beautiful as the cottage was, it was old and kind of spooky. After we dumped our stuff, we all set off for a walk down to Mum and Dad's very own private beach below the cottage. On the way we passed a lot of graves...three children belonging to lighthouse keepers have died here, many many years ago. It's quite sad to see how young they are on the graves. There was also a pet cemetary with a lot of graves. Again, sad, but adds to the slightly spooky vibe...

Not many people can say they have their own beach, and in such a beautiful place. Pity it wasn't really warm enough to swim. Plus the hundreds of dead bluebottles put us off a little! They aren't always there though and Mum has been enjoying the water.

I love the following shot of Mum and Dad. In the distance you can see the lighthouse, and below it the caretaker's cottage.

We got back to the house to find some more tourists had arrived. Mum and Dad started chatting to them and they expressed shock that Georgie and I weren't wearing jackets. We explained that we had gotten hot on the walk back up the hill from the beach, but they still thought we were "very brave and tough Tasmanians". After they left, we headed inside for nibblies and drinks before dinner, which Mum and Dad call Happy Hour, and all attempted to eat our own body weight in Bruny Island cheese. The turning circle where tourists park is visible from the kitchen window and we noticed another car pull up. Dad went outside to talk to them and minutes later zipped past on a bicycle. I found this quite funny as I hadn't even known he had brought his bike, and when he came back in I decided I wanted a go. Georgie and I went outside and I quickly realised the bike was far too tall for me and posed with it in front of the cottage instead.

However,  not content with this, I decided to run with it up the road, being watched by some bemused tourists who probably thought that I lived there, and that living out there in isolation had sent me a little crazy. I, however, blame the cheese for my bicycle hijinks. Even though I wasn't even riding it, I got distracted by seeing Mum and Dad laughing at me through the kitchen window and managed to crash into a ditch.

Hey, it takes a lot of effort to be this clumsy.

After dinner, which was one of Mum's delicious stir-fries, we headed up the hill to check out the lighthouse, marvelling at the hundreds of rabbits we could see. Bruny Island has a terrible rabbit problem and we couldn't believe how many there were.

Once we reached the lighthouse, Dad pointed out some landmarks, looking very official in his Parks and Wildlife uniform. The lighthouse isn't open to the public, but one of the perks of being the daughter of the caretakers is that we were allowed inside.

We went inside and started to climb the steep, 100 year old spiral staircase, with thirteen metres to the top. Now, I should say here that I never used to be scared of heights. From the age of 12 I have abseiled from bridges, sheer rock faces, water towers, etc. But 5 years ago I had an accident while abseiling (the details of which can wait for another day) and ever since then I haven't felt comfortable with heights. I honestly thought I would be fine climbing to the top of the lighthouse, but about halfway up I felt sheer terror hit me. I kept going and made it up but was not feeling happy. Dad took Georgie out onto the ledge but couldn't convince me to go. I told Mum that I couldn't go back down. Going up had been bad enough but at least I hadn't had to look down as I went. Mum and Dad assured me that I would be fine, and that it would either be head down or sleep there. Neither option was particularly tempting, but I started down. I felt truly frightened...sweaty, breathless, pounding heart. I am ashamed to say that I, a grown woman of 27 years, had to hold my mother's hand the entire way down. She was great, very reassuring and gentle but also no nonsense. Example, about halfway down:

Me: "Oh hell, oh hell, I shouldn't have come up here in the first place."

Mum: "Well, you did. Keep going."

Obviously, I made it down, gave Mum a hug and thanked her, and then took a photo of Dad and Georgie from below as they merrily skipped down, terror-free. I think I prefer the view of the lighthouse from solid ground.

After an evening game of Canasta back at the house (which, despite a shaky start in the first round, Georgie and I won), it was time to meet Blondie. Blondie is an albino possum who has been fed by caretakers for the past fifteen years. We went outside, Mum called his name, and lo, he appeared.

So did another possum, who ran at Georgie and made as if he was going to climb her leg. Understandably, she made a quick getaway.

Most possums that are used to humans can be a bit bold and greedy, and you have to be very careful if handfeeding as they can bite you instead of the food. However, Blondie is very polite and gentle. Mum and Dad were calling Blondie a 'she' until I noticed that 'she' had two, ahem, things that lady possums don't usually have. Mum calls the other possums Pirate Pete, collectively. Blondie (or Blondo as we surmised HE should perhaps be renamed) is really quite gorgeous.

Mum and Dad have to be up at 5.30am every morning to do the morning weather obs, so they headed off to bed soon after our possum feeding expedition and Georgie and I hung out in the lounge room, chatting, and went on an excursion outside with headtorches to look for wildlife. We managed to give each other the creeps- it was so dark outside- and having a bird flying at our heads out of nowhere didn't help matters. We went back inside and into the kitchen, only to have the same bird bashing against the window staring at us. Creepy.

We were up talking (in whispers) until pretty late, so when Mum burst in at 8am declaring "Wake up, it's the fun police!" we were both a bit groggy. After breakfasting and checking out another beach we farewelled Mum and Dad and set off, stopping to buy more fudge as we had, ahem, 'accidentally' eaten our gifts for the menfolk the previous evening.

After a drive back to the ferry, and then from the ferry into Hobart, I decided to hang around at Georgie's for a while to break the journey, as I still faced a long drive on my own back to Launceston. I got to go with Georgie to the Dogs' Home to pick up the twelve-week old puppy she is foster caring. His name is Zeus and he is just adorable.

After reluctantly farewelling Georgie and Hobart, I set off, and one loooong drive later I arrived home at 6pm, was greeted by two very enthusiastic dogs, and even though I was sad my adventure was over, I was happy to be home. Be it ever so humble...

Tomorrow I'm off again, taking Jude and Sophia to my parent's home in the North East to check up on things while they are on Bruny, and head to the beach. On the road again...

Three Days, Two Islands...Part One

I am home and brimming with happiness after an amazing three days of adventuring. First stop was Hobart to see my beloved favourite band The Dresden Dolls. Jude and I headed down on Thursday and though I was a bit, ahem, nervous about driving into Hobart after never having done it before  it was fine. I mean, I have been driving for 11 years and road rules are road rules...I think I had just psyched myself out. Jude and I checked into our hotel and met up with my beautiful friend Georgie. She and I are coming up to a decade of friendship...we did our first uni degree together and I try to see her whenever I'm down south and usually manage it. Anyway, we had a quick catch up and gave her her ticket for the show as she had to meet us there at 9pm due to rehearsals of her own. Jude and I did a bit of wandering and shopping before heading back to the hotel to get ready for THE SHOW. We had dinner at a beautiful Italian restaurant in Salamanca called La Porchetta and then headed across to the Prince's Wharf shed, the site of the MONA FOMA festival. The Dolls weren't on til 9pm but I was very, very, very keen to get a good spot so we went inside the site at 8pm, got some drinks and went to the stage. No one else was really waiting yet so we stood right at the stage barrier and I decided that nothing would make us move from that spot. I have loved the Dolls for 9 years, and could face standing and waiting for an hour and a half. Here we are in position (another early arrival kindly took our photo).

That's Brian Viglione's drumset right behind us...He, along with Amanda Palmer, make up the Dolls. We had a great position. We are holding glasses of a very regretful purchase...a $25 bottle of what was supposed to be beautiful Tasmanian sparkling wine but tasted like Passion Pop. No joke. We ended up giving the rest of the bottle away. Very disappointing, Moorilla Vineyard. Anyway, moving on from that shananigan...Georgie arrived at 9pm and managed to make her way through the fast-growing crowd and get to us in the front row. Thankfully, it was quite a friendly crowd and she had no problems.

The show was beyond amazing. I couldn't believe that the Dresden Dolls had come all the way from Boston to little Tassie, and that I was standing right in the front row. Just incredible. Georgie and Jude aren't fans (well, they weren't til now!) but they enjoyed it too. The Dolls rocked it. I was right in front of Brian and was singing along to all the songs, and he kept looking right at me, grinning, and singing along too. 

I didn't get the best photos as I was too busy watching, plus my camera isn't the best in low light. Jude got some great ones so I'll try to get them from her.

After the show we headed outside and lined up (nearly at the front of the line, go us) for signing. I had brought one of my CDs and bought a T shirt for Mr Bebb, who also loves the Dolls but sadly had to work. I had also brought along a gift for Amanda and Brian. Last time I met Amanda, after her solo show in Melbourne in 2006, I gave her a pair of black and white stripey knickers as it was her thing back then to wear black and white striped stockings. She loved them and I decided to keep with tradition and give her another pair of decadent knickers as she loves fancy lingerie and often wears it onstage. I also popped a few of my handmade soaps in the bag and wrote them a card. I mentioned on Twitter that I was choosing knickers for @amandapalmer that afternoon and when I gave her the gift bag she said "Ooh, is this the knickers?" She loved them and I think they liked the Tassie soaps too. Here's Amanda checking out her new underwear and Brian saying "I want them!"

The tour manager had announced at the start of signing that there wasn't time for photos with everyone, but if people really wanted them they could hang around until after the signing. We were part of a small dedicated group of fans who did indeed hang around and I was very happy to get a photo with them.

For interest's sake, here's me with Amanda in Melbourne back in 2006 after her solo show.

What an amazing night. Georgie dropped Jude and I at the hotel and we had fun getting ready for bed and giggling like college room-mates. The next morning, after a yummy breakfast and a bit of Salamanca shopping, I bid farewell to dear Jude (her husband was on his way to meet her for another night in Hobart) and Georgie and I set off to catch the ferry to Bruny Island to visit my parents, who are working as volunteer caretakers for Parks and Wildlife for six weeks. To be continued in Part Two...

4am Friendship

You know you have a great best friend when it's 4am and you are lying in bed giggling as you text Friends quotes to each other.

MM, henceforth known by her actual name, Jude, (MM was making her think of the Mere Male column from New Idea magazine!) and I did just that last night (this morning?). I was lying in bed unable to sleep at 3am due to my dratted insomnia and checked Facebook on my phone, as you do. To my surprise, Jude had just updated her status so I knew she was up, probably unable to sleep herself, and sent her a text message. Soon enough my phone buzzed back and we spent a merry hour making each other laugh, albeit quietly, throwing in suitable Friends quotes (an integral part of our friendship is our ability to find a Friends quote for any and all occasions, and our love of the show was one of the first things we bonded over, all those years ago at uni) and keeping each other company during the time of night that, when you are suffering from insomnia, can be very lonely and isolating. When I am wide awake and it's so late, I can sometimes feel like I am the only person in the world and knowing that someone else is awake pushes the darkness back a little. I'm not saying we will be doing this every night, but knowing that even at 4am we were keeping each other company and making each other laugh shows me once again how good a friend I have in dear Jude.