Today I thought I’d try the format of one of my most favourite blogs Obnoxious Owl. She tells you the advice you need to hear and is quick about it! I usually tend to elaborate upon my advice and turn them into massive rants, so Imma try and see what it’s like to dish the advice quick and without any fuss.

PUT THE PHONE DOWN
I know we live in an age where we can do just about anything on our mobile phones, but man people take it too far. Ya know, some of us old-fashioned types still find it quite rude when you’re too busy texting or twittering or using some useless app to hold a proper conversation.

EAT HEALTHY FOOD
Eating nothing but junk all the time and making a big fuss about hating vegetables is lame. You’re an adult now so eat like one. Do you really want to die of a heart attack or colon cancer?! Those old people who eat Macca’s three time a week for all their lives  and are totally healthy are absolute freaks and you will never be like them.

AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD EXERCISE
Like the above, being naturally slim doesn’t mean you should be lazy. It isn’t just about losing weight, it’s about appreciating the one body you have and making it last as long as possible. If you wake up feeling like shit all the time, you need to eat a salad and go for a long walk. For real.

BUY A DECENT BRA
I know I’ve gone on about this before, but no one likes the look of double decker boobs. You’re not doing yourself any justice by cramming your melons into those teacups. Get fitted and see how great your assets really are!

SORT YOUR SHIT OUT, FINANCIALLY
So your job doesn’t pay you very well, how about you get a new one or demand a pay rise and stop boring everyone with your tales of woe. And do not expect any sympathy if you’re constantly broke and yet have enough cash to go get wasted every weekend. It makes people angry. Unless you’re a student, then that’s alright.

DO YOUR HAIR
Nothing says “I don’t care about how I look” more than going out of the house with shitty hair. If you can’t find the time to give it a blow dry or straighten it in the morning, at least tie it up nicely. I think someone’s hairstyle speaks volumes about the person. And for the love of god, if you’re going out and have a nice outfit and have put on makeup, do your fucking hair. It’s the whole package or nothing at all.

STOP SWEARING
Yeah that’s right motherfucker, I’m looking at you! I swear way too much, though I know far too many people who out-swear me constantly. Look, the F word is great at punctuating statements, but only when used sparingly. Dropping the F or C bomb more than a few times in a conversation just makes you look inarticulate and stupid. Keep swear words for when you really need ‘em and not in place of saying “um” or “like”.

STOP SAYING LIKE
Just like swearing too much, saying “like” all the time makes you look retarded. I’m shocked girls still do this, it’s not as though Clueless wasn’t released in 1995 or anything. I used to do it too much but my mum got me out of the habit by stopping me every time I said it inappropriately. If you known you use the dreaded L word too much, stop yourself every time you go to say it and think of what you’re trying to say and just say it already.

READ MORE
The film versions usually suck compared to the books anyway. And just FYI, trashy magazines and blogs do not count. Buy/borrow a book and maybe you’ll even learn something.

STOP WORRYING WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF YOU
I know this is kind of ironic given the advice I have just dished out, but you really need to stop worrying about embarrassing yourself or making people mad by what you do, because it’s highly likely no one cares. Wear that outfit that’s way too bright, who’s going to judge you? Some arsehole stranger you’ll never meet again? Screw them! And if you like wearing ill-fitting bra’s, swearing too much and having messy hair then do it! It’s your life and I don’t care enough to judge ya anyway!

Time for an update on the Brisbane Zombie Walk! As expected it’s totally taking over my life as we really get into the swing of  things and everything’s going well so far. Thank god! The above poster was the first the mock up I did which I actually really, really love so will now be the actual poster. I haven’t lost my touch when it comes to design after all, it seems. The photo is from the walk in 2008 (the first one I organised) and was taken by my friend Terry (check out his site Soul Bridge Media, he’s such an awesome photographer!).

The biggest news though, is that we’ve finally launched the new website which allows people to register (which will help us gauge how many participants to anticipate this year) as well as make donations! This is a pretty big deal because it allows people to be a bit more interactive with us and the site and we’re gaining valuable information by knowing how many people use the site on top of getting a good idea of the expected turnout this year. Plus we’re already getting heaps of donations which means we’ll be able to cover the costs of the walk without resorting to dipping into our own pockets so much. It’s also means we can donate more of the money we raise to the Brain Foundation! Win win!

Check out the new website!

Right now I am trying to come up with a design for the Official t-shirts which is proving a bit tougher than the poster as I need to use minimal colours and make sure it appeals to everyone. I’ll post my designs and idea as they come along. Then there’s the fundraiser gig Rott n Roll. I’m currently getting people to help me find local bands willing to play for free but will also draw a crowd. Oh and the after party – lots of work there too. We’re goin to have to start recruiting volunteers soon!

Anyway, as the walk looms ever closer I’m going to get busier and busier so please don’t think I am neglecting my blog out of laziness! Hopefully as everything slots into place I will have more time to post more substantial updates!

I know it’s cliched to love the city you live in, bit I don’t think people give enough credit to Brisbane. I know it’s not a huge city with a lot of amazing things constantly going on but it’s beautiful and unique and I am proud to call it my home. It took my living in London and Europe for two and a half years to realise how much I love Brisbane too, before that I thought it was one of the most boring capital cities in the world, let alone Australia. But over the last couple of years it’s started to grow and become this interesting, vibrant city which always has something going on, even if you have to look a bit deeper to find what’s going on exactly.

Lately I’ve been trying to see more of Brisbane and have been shocked by how much I don’t know about the city I’ve lived in for over 15 years. Even just taking walks in areas I haven’t been before has opened my eyes! The other day I walked all the way from my work in Milton, through the city and along the riverside and was so impressed by how beautiful everything was as the sun went down. I had dinner at a restaurant I’ve never noticed before and discovered a walkway I never even knew existed that was just bustling with people at 7pm on a Tuesday evening.

Of course I write this two days before I go on a long-anticipated trip to Tokyo. Well Brisbane, as much as I will love the hell out of Tokyo, I will be happy to return to you afterwards!

This has honestly been a dreadful  week. Not just for me, but for a lot of people, particularly people very close to me. I don’t want to go into details, it’s all very complicated and going over it will probably only upset me more, but it’s just not been my week. I have to wonder if there’s some sort of supernatural or cosmic force behind this? In south-east Queensland we’ve had horrific weather and flooding, and have been declared a natural disaster zone for all the damage that’s been caused. Numerous friends of mine have had nothing but terrible luck and awful situations in their lives and it seems like everything is going to shit for a lot of people I know.

Personally I have been trying to combat the negativity in my life by just doing things for myself. I have been exercising relentlesly, because I feel so good after a hardcore workout and an extra dose of serotonin can’t be beat. I have also been taking my issues head on and trying to deal with them as they come, instead of bottling them up and feeling all the worse for it. It meant taking a  day off work to just chill out and work some things out, but it was necessary for my own well-being.

I can only hope this bad news week is almost over for everyone affected and things will start looking up soon. I wish I had advice for anyone else going through similar things to me, all I can suggest is taking on your problems as they arise and fix them as soon as possible, and not bottle them up or repress them. Hopefully you will pull through and be all that more stronger for it!

You will be dearly missed. I hope you found Pepe and are romping around in doggy heaven with him right now.

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