YAY! It’s 2012. Which is significant for me for a few reasons (ie. I turn 30, though if that Mayan calendar thing is actually true, we all die two days before my birthday). I also have some big plans for this year which I am very excited about (I will go into further detail as they start to pop up).
The first, exciting thing I have done so far was finally upgraded my poor 6 year old HP laptop for a brand spankin’ new HP desktop. I’m not computer savvy enough to worry about building my own computer and HP have proved themselves with how well they work for me. So now I will be able to get back into graphic design stuff (did I mention the fact it’s a touch screen computer? Coz it is!) and also VIDEO EDITING! I am pretty darn excited about the though of this, as I haven’t been about to do much proper editing with my old laptop. I’m not entirely sure what I will be editing exactly, but I will make sure it’s good :D
Also to start off my year with a bang, I am off to Melbourne for a few days. Which is going to be SO MUCH FUN. I haven’t been there since early 2008 and as an old school Victorian (I lived in country Vic until I was 9 years old) it holds such a dear place in my heart. I also went with someone who is no longer my friend and also wasn’t very much fun, so I am excited to share this visit with good friend Miss Mia Doll. I plan to go shopping, see some sights and go out and relish in how much trendier and more exciting Melbourne is compared to poor sleepy Brisbane. There will be a massive post to follow!
To celebrate the new year and because they were well overdue, I got my nails did. I knew I wouldn’t be bothered doing any designs of my own so I got them to add some cute little sparkly bows on my ring finger nails. They look MUCH better in real life, but until I get Photoshop working on this computer, I had to use this dodgy photo of them. I have decided this year I am going to get WAY into nail art and experiment a lot more. So if you know me in real life, hit me up so I can do your nails and get lots of practice!
OK well I really ought to pack, since I really haven’t started and have to be at the airport by 7am tomorrow morning. I look forward to sharing my exciting new adventures with you all very soon!
About Ruby
My name is Cara (but you can call me Ruby) and I like the colour pink, swearing, fist shaking, daggy dancing and 90s RnB music. Often all at once. I live in Brisbane which is always warm and is famous for its zombies.
Holy shit, it’s december 21st! Where the fuck did time go? I have about five posts half written but somehow time escaped me! 2011 has been fairly average for me, some good stuff happened and some shit stuff happened. We organised a highly successful and extremely professional zombie walk in October, and I got TWO puppies (one in August, the 2nd in October) who have changed my life so much, in a good way! I’ve also had my poorest year since I was a student now that I am finally being an adult and paying off my many debts and it SUCKS! I also lost my car of 6 years (which may be back in 2012, we’ll see) and my poor dependable HP laptop is finally on her last legs.
I have big plans for 2010, to make it worth my while in case that whole Mayan calendar thing ends up having some truth to it (if it does, we all die two days before my 30th birthday, mwahaha). Here’s a few:
SAVE MONEY. I’m almost 30 for crying out loud. Time to stop wasting money on bullshit and save money for travels, a new car and for things I actually genuinely need.
BLOG MORE. I have been terrible with blogging this year and I’m so ashamed of myself. Good news though, I got a new computer this afternoon (bless you Harvey Norman and your 24 months interest free) so I will be able to work to my full potential and bring to you some amazing stuff.
GET WELL. I’m not actually sick as such, but I have the back of a 60 year old which I keep ignoring and getting just enough physio to fix it for about a week. I’ve also started managing my migraines and gotten rid of a lot of them, which I hope gets even better next year.
LOSE WEIGHT AND GET FIT. Let’s be honest here, I will say this every year. But I’ve been AMAZING at it this year and while I’m not some skinny minnie yet, my fitness is at the best it’s ever been so I will just keep at it.
TRAVEL. My good friends are getting married in Thailand which I cannot miss! I’m also spending a few days in Melbourne next week which will be awesome and long overdue. I need to try and travel more, it brings me such joy and I need more of that in my life.
STOP WASTING TIME & BEING LATE. It runs in my family but it’s no excuse. I mean right now I am blogging at 10pm when I should be getting ready for tonight!!! Hopeless. But I will get better next year.
Thanks to those who’ve kept with me and still read/enjoy my blog. I promise to deliver more and more next year. I just hope I’ve kept a few of ya’ll entertained week to week. Lova ya gutses :D
My friend messaged me on Facebook today about how she found a photo of me while conducting a random Google image search. Naturally I assumed she was Googling “fabulous and beautiful ladies” but then she revealed what she actually looked up:
Whatever, internets. You can try to bring me down, but I laugh in your face. LAUGH!
I am actually pretty darn chuffed about this actually. I even appear another page down, next to a shirtless Jake Gyllenhaal so I feel that I won in some small way.
Can you believe it’s already December? What is with this year going by so quickly? I just checked and there are only 15 days til my birthday so that means only 17 days til Christmas! Guess who still hasn’t done their Christmas shopping either? Uh oh!
I love Christmas. I may be atheist and come from an atheist family but we’ve always considered Christmas a special time of year, though not for any religious reasons, but just a time to be with family. I absolutely love getting presents, and while I’m not really the best gift-buyer myself, I love thinking of what to get my family and friends that they’ll like but also haven’t directly asked for (I’m a big fan of surprise gifts).
I love the traditions that come with Christmas. I love getting up early for presents on Christmas morning. I love having miles of wrapping paper strewn across the house while mum tells us off for not saving the paper for future use. I love the bacon and egg breakfast with fresh, pulpy orange juice that we have after the frenzy of the gift-giving is over. I love having a HUGE lunch with ham off the bone, cold chook , salads, prawns and too much dessert. I love the full and sleepy feeling after lunch where you just want to sleep. I used to love having a swim regardless of the weather an hour after lunch back when we had a pool, usually to test out the awesome new pools toys we were given (which we’d usually manage to break in the first 10 minutes, much to mum’s horror). Then the lazy, relaxing afternoon where we’d attempt to eat some more before falling asleep in front of the TV, usually watching ballroom dancing which always seemed to be shown on Christmas day for some reason.
I’ve only just put up my Christmas tree (above – and yes it is black with pink and silver trimming) and am wondering how long the presents will survive with two maniac puppies on the loose. Maybe it’s a good thing I always leave my shopping til last minute so that there’s less time for wrapping to get chewed up! It’s kind of exciting that I’m about to have my first Christmas as a “mum”, I might even be super lame and get the boys a little present for the under the tree each ;)
What are your favourite Christmas traditions? If you don’t celebrate Christmas, what do you do during this holiday period?
Many apologies for the lack of updates lately. I have been ridiculously busy at work for EOFY which really took it out of me. Eight hours in front of a computer is pretty horrendous to me, since I’m usually up and down all day doing lots of different things so I kept away from my computer at home until now.
As you may have already guessed from the image, I have decided to take part in Dry July this year. It is, as described on the website “an online social community where an individual or team can sign up to the challenge of a month long sponsored abstinence from alcohol”. In other words you don’t drink any alcohol for the month of July and get people to sponsor you so that you end up raising money for cancer patients. It’s been happening since 2008 but I’ve never even considered taking part before. In fact it wasn’t until I woke up on a Friday morning feeling like complete arse because I’d had one celebratory drink with a friend who finally got a job she’d been after for months, that I decided it would be a good idea. One drink shouldn’t make you massively hungover, especially when it was cider, and one that I used to be able to drink plenty of without making myself too ill the next day to boot.
So I have set myself the challenge of not drinking for a whole month. I admit I am not a big drinker, in fact I go whole weeks without touching a drop. But I’ve also never made any effort not to drink. In fact I did once decide to lay off alcohol and treats for two weeks which I was hopeless at because I went to a Tupperware party that serves champagne cocktails and a ridiculous amount of cheese and I found I couldn not say “no” and ate and drank to my hearts content. That was the first weekend too, so I was destined to fail that time, apparently. I seem to have an inability to say no when it comes to drinking, even though I don’t do a lot of it, I can’t help but want a drink after a hard week or if I’m doing anything social. So this is going to be a massive challenge for me!
One thing I’ve found when I’ve told people I am doing Dry July is how badly they react. You would think I was giving up alcohol for a whole year, not just a month. So while I found myself having a bit of a freak out in the days leading up to this, I also realised it’s not that big a deal. It’s only alcohol, I don’t need it to live and all evidence indicates I am allergic to it in some way (or an ingredient found in most alcoholic drinks, anyway). I get the worst migraines imaginable after drinking most types of alcohol and it’s only getting worse as I get older. Alcohol also ruins the lives of many and costs a hell of a lot of money. I don’t need it and I’m a little bit ashamed of myself for worrying about not being able to have some for a mere 31 day period.
It’s only day 3 of this challenge and already I have done a lot to make the endeavour worthwhile. On the very first day I went to see Miami Horror live and while I probably would have had more fun if I’d been drinking (as I wouldn’t have been so easily distracted by all of the drunk people bumping into me all night), I still enjoyed the show and got home looking fresh-faced and filled with a nice, natural energy, as opposed to the alcohol-fueled crazy-Cara that so often pops her head out after a few too many drinks. I also spent this weekend in with my bf, cleaning the unit from top to bottom and reorganising the place so it looks twice as big as it did. I know I will save some money (from not buying alcohol as well as not having to buy so many pain killers) and since I have been on a huge diet and exercise kick lately, I will probably look and feel the best I’ve felt in years!
I’d love to get some donations, to help motivate me! All money raised goes to the Mater Adult Hospital to help cancer patients. Every little bit helps so please share the love :)
I’ve always loved Nate Dogg since I got my Hit Machine 13 CD as a kid which had Regulateon it (that’s basically how I becamse a fan of a lot of music, through compilations CDs in the mid-late 90s). I’m a big fan of melodic hip hop and always loved the element he’d bring into rap tracks with that silky smooth voice.
I don’t have much else to say so I will leave you with a few of my favourite tracks involving Nate Dee Oh Double Gee.
I Got Love
Shake That – Eminem feat. Nate Dogg (one of my all time favourites)
As everyone is well aware, a terrible tragedy has struck Japan. We were only just getting over the shock of the Christchurch quake that killed at least 166 people three weeks go and Mother Natures unleashed her wrath all over again. I remember thinking/saying back when the quake hit Christchurch that it could have been an even worse disaster had it struck a more densely populated area, a small consolation in such a devastating tragedy.
I keep looking at photos of the carnage of the tsunami’s and it’s hard not to cry. I’ve always had a soft spot for Japan, especially since I went there in September 2009. I can’t even imagine how they will clean it all up, how the country will recover. Seeing the devastated faces of those people is just heartbreaking. I’m still not quite over the Queensland floods from january and now we have these killer earthquakes so close to home. It’s just terrifying and I can’t even imagine having to live through something like that.
Meanwhile, I just wanted to vent some rage at the overwhelming ignorance people have been displaying about this disaster. I was first made aware of it when I read this VICE article. I almost couldn’t believe it, people are comparing this event to Pearl Harbor? Really???!! I’m torn between bewildered disbelief and angry acceptance because I guess it’s not all that surprising that people are so damn ignorant and proud of it. I’m actually surprised no one has said anything about it being karma for the whales, but no, the average US citizen only remembers what happens in their country, particularly when glorified in a big budget Hollywood film (seriously, would most of those people know anything about what happened at Pearl Harbor if it wasn’t for that movie? I doubt it). HEY ARSEHOLES! No country, no matter what happened during war, deserves something like this. What, are we all hoping something will happen to Germany to get back at all them damn Nazi’s? It’s an absolutely appalling mentality and it scares me to think there are so many of these ignorant fools out there.
So if you’ve already donated or are unable to, another awesome public service would be to troll the Facebooks of these absolute douchebags and give ‘em what for! But really, if you see anything like this on your Facebook feed, please don’t ignore it. Things like this ought to be addressed because ignorance doesn’t fix itself, it’s up to the more informed and less racist people in society to make a difference!
Well I had a light-hearted and entertaining post lined up for my big 2011 debut but after the series of events unfolding in Queensland (that’s the state I live in, for those who didn’t know) I thought I’d leave it for now.
I admit I was a bit blase about the floods happening up North but now they’ve demolished Toowoomba, a City that’s about two hours from Brisbane and where a lot of friends are from, I am extremely worried. There are flood warning out for the CDB and Valley (where I live) in the next few days so it’s no longer just bad news for other people, it could be bad news for me and my friends and family too.
Unfortunately I don’t have the funds available right now to make a donation, but if you do then I implore you to make a donation to help those affected by the floods. Unfortunately for most people, flood damage isn’t included in a lot of home insurance policies so these poor people will have lost everything and won’t get any compensation. Please donate whatever you can and hope that this ends soon.
So it’s Christmas Eve and I am contemplating packing my car with various delicious ham-related treats and heading to my mum’s for the holidays. I have the whole week off (shock) so will be relaxing, chilling out and generally taking it easy. So you probably won’t see much of me again until the new year (but maybe you will… it depends on how bored I get).
Have a safe and Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Or whatever holiday season you happen to celebrate. Actually, I just wish you an enjoyable time off work. Yes, that’s nice and safe…
I love walking in cities at night. I love how much a city changes just by being lit up after dark. Tonight I went for a walk around and through Brisbane City because I haven’t done that in such a long time, and I loved it. I actually really miss working in the City, even though I’m sure I’m saving heaps of money by working in the most boring area on earth. As I walked I made a few observations:
The boardwalk is crazy-busy at 7pm on a Tuesday night. You can hardly walk for runners, bicycles and couples strolling along the riverside. It’s nice to see people getting out and about and enjoying the beautiful weather warm weather tonight.
There is this smell as you walk along the boardwalk, as you pass under Jade Buddha that smells like a thousand dead vagina’s. I’m serious, it’s just the worst smell ever. I try and hold my nose as I walk through there but it always manages to get me. Just FYI.
There are a lot of bars and restaurants around Brisbane that I’ve never gone to that I’d really like to try someday. I think 2011 will be my year to try them all out.
The Brisbane wigga’s still exist! They apparently hang out outside the Timezone on Albert Street. Or maybe they always did. Either way it was hilarious!
There are some really pretty lights up across Queen Street (between Edward and Creek streets). They remind me of the ones they have around Oxford Circus in London. They need more though, only a couple of sets of them just aren’t enough.
The City Cycle bikes are everywhere now, I really want to get a membership. This is why I should be working in the City! I can ride one to work and then walk or train it home without worrying about leaving my own bicycle unattended. I love it!
They’ve really overhauled a few of the dodgy little parks, particularly the ones near the Valley. It’s good to see some landscaping and interesting street furniture instead of scary dark spots and angry drunk hobo’s.
Brisbane is actually very quiet. As I walked I was impressed by how tranquil and peaceful it was. Of course there are traffic sounds but it was a dull hum in the background without car horns or loud engines hooning by. I doubt there are many cities in the world that can boast that.
I probably noticed a lot more but I was trying to exercise/didn’t have anything to write my observations down on. It was just really nice and I’m going to do it more often.
Tell me about your City and the nice, strange, stinky and funny things you notice!
