Secret list

I have a secret list. Full of secret goals that can’t go on the main list because they’re either too weird or unconventional or people might try to talk me out of it.

Mr N knows a few of them, and now an opportunity to cross one off has come up. Around my birthday no less!  So I emailed him for some encouragement and got back one line basically saying “I dare you.”

I dare me too. Game on.

I'm really enjoying living:-D

Library girls are the best girls

All it took feel better was a charming young man and a soundsuit.

A patron came up to me and told me "you're an information ninja. You have the answers."  So of course, I found what he wanted.  Then he proceeded to compliment my library and then announced "Libraries have the best girls. My friend told me he wants to meet someone nice like my girlfriend. I told him, if you want to meet a great girl, go to a library."

I almost fell over. 

Prior to that, a colleague (admittedly, she's very cool), showed me images of Soundsuits.  They are amazing. The artist is Nick Cave, but not the Australian Nick Cave (although I wouldn't have been surprised). I'm not sure how I will do it, but Soundsuits are now on the list. If I can't own one, I must wear one.

Who would have thought. I was so upset with life, and wearable sculpture made it all better.

2011 - I think I finally did it

It only just occurred to me that not only have I neglected to do my yearly report, but I may have finally had the year of Miss A.

Every year I try so hard to make sure the 12 month stretch is magnificent, but it never seems to work out. Even when I was hopping about the globe things weren't quite there. But now, for the rest of my life I can sit in my Chesterfield, smoke my hand-carved pipe and ponder the most excellent year that was 2011.

Triumphs:

1. Finished a great job. Moved straight to another great job as a real life librarian.
2. Bought a house.
3. Got engaged.
4. Landed a permanent job in my dream area.
5. Kept my uni friends
6. Made some fancy work friends. If I combine my uni crew and my work buddies I have a social life! More importantly, one that I like!
   
7. Grew snowpeas. And strawberries.
   
8. Started to bake. Muffins, cookies and cupcakes. There was even a burnt and collapsed cake in there. Well done me.
   
9. Got fitter and stronger. The best part about this is that my life is so much easier now. I've decided to keep my trainer for good. Or at least until he finishes uni.
   

Lousy stuff:

1. Mr N isn't talking to me. Of course, this is sort of a good thing because we can both live our lives without the other person taking up space and thought time. But really, it makes me sad so it's in the lousy stuff pile. Really, this has been the only proper crap thing about 2011.
   
2. I'm living far away from Brunswick. I love Brunswick. I love the breakfast. I love the weird guys in skinny jeans. I love the ladies in their 1950s dresses. Still, I wanted a garden and I have a car.
3. Baking is expensive and it makes me fat. However, the finished products are also delicious and make me feel very capable.
   

All in all, an excellent year. The rotten things all have good sides.

Things for the new year:

1. Buy better librarian glasses. Mine are crap because my dad chose them. That's what happens when your father pays for everything (this was 4 years ago mind you).
2. Learn to do my hair properly. A few weeks ago Mr G's sister transformed my hair from a feral scribble into a sleek and sexy up-do. I think it's about time I learned to do it myself. I'm also going to throw away my gross-person clothes. I may need some help.
   
3. Transform my yard from a swampy, neglected, cat-riddled monstrosity into a productive play garden, fit for a wedding. It comes with a little puppy who shall be called Argo.

I'll be 28 this year. I have 3 years left until the major event year.

Horsies!

This is Bruiser. That's right. I finally got my horsie and his name was BRUISER. And he didn't have socks. Not quite what I was expecting. I sort of wanted a glossy black horse with a shiny mane and white socks. His name would be Rodney (I love you Rodney!) and he would be my best friend.

Still, it was wonderful. I finally got to pretend that I was coming home from an epic battle in which I led my army to victory. After a real battle, I would naturally get to my choice of enemy horses (no doubt mine was killed in a dramatic and heroic manner), but I may have to choose from a bad lot. And it's not like Bruiser didn't have personality. At one stage he decided to make a break for it and jumped into some bushes. Unfortunately, that was the extent of his plan. This is why the enemy lost. Not even the horses were that bright. He had quite a bit of trouble getting out again, but together we managed with only a few scrapes and scratches.

Also, it was clear that my new steed was underfed. He kept going for the lush grass, despite my best attempts to keep him to the path. Then, he'd realise that we were lagging behind and off we'd go, trotting until we literally bumped into the horse in front. It must have been exhaustion. No doubt he'd used up all his energy charging people and ducking swords.
All very exciting for a first-timer. Next time, private tour and a horse with socks.

Trying to complete the list again

I sort of forgot about my list. I got too involved in REAL LIFE. And as we all know, real life has no place here. Poor form on my part, but it's fixed because I'm getting through the list once again.

I'm going to ride a horsie this weekend. I have no idea why, but recently I've started using 'horsie'. I had to answer a question about a horse at my job the other day, and it took all my power to just say 'horse'. In my head I shrieked 'iiieeee!'

So, this is a big deal because horsies like to eat human flesh. This is a fact. Once you give them the taste for it, they can't help themselves. Much like zombies. Just check out their chompers. MASSIVE TEETH. I have huge front teeth, so if I get bitten then I'm damn well going to bite back. Then I'll stand back, and the horsie and I will have to grudgingly accept that we belong together.

Seriously, I'm really quite excited. It will be just like my time on an elephant. Only this time I'll be going slowly and in single file with a bunch of others. So instead of pretending that I'm heading for battle, I'll have to make do with pretending that I'm returning from months of hand-to-hand combat, exhausted and on a new mount that I have captured from my enemies.

So. This weekend I'm going to be returning from my campaign on a shiny steed, with loot and prisoners.

New face.

Things have changed because this is not 2009 and I'm clearly no longer doing the Camino. In fact, 2010 is almost over as well. But my adventuring is not quite over yet. Yes, I'm in Melbourne and not having grand trips all over the world. But I'm in Melbourne! The second best city in the world!

Also, I'm a librarian now, which means I can do what I want. Being a librarian is the best job ever. I go to work, do a bunch of cool things (touch Megladon teeth, catalogue books about sea snails that are in Russian, sass people in power) and then feel sad when it's home time.

Unfortunately, my everyday non-work life has become a little bit dull, so I'm going to jazz it up with some new adventures. Here are some things I think I should do.

1. Fly a plane. Even if it's one of those stupid introductory flights.
2. Go caving in Victoria. I'm claustrophobic and afraid of the dark so this seems like a great idea. I mean real caving, with head torches and climbing gear.
3. Eat the coat of arms. I eat roo a lot, but I've never eaten emu.
4. Go zorbing. I am sure I will hate every second of it, but for some reason I have to try it. It's like brussel sprouts. Last Christmas I was in London and we had Christmas lunch with friends. There were brussel sprouts. Even though I knew I didn't like them, I thought 'I have to try these and see if I've changed'. They were repulsive, but I didn't stop at one. I ate about five, in the hope that the sprouts would win. Hmm. This isn't like zorbing at all.
5. This isn't an adventure, but I'm going to start going to movies on my own. I miss a lot of movies that I'd like to see on the big screen because other people don't want to see them, or people say 'yeah, I'd love to see that, but I can only go after this date so wait for me' and then it never happens. So screw them, I'm not even going to ask anymore. I'm going alone and that just means more popcorn for me.

Oh! And I'm getting a very interesting portrait done. My housemate is a talented artist, and I've now commissioned him. It's a very vain thing to do, getting a portrait. I have this strange idea that once I have the portrait, my 17th/18th century fantasies will start coming true and I'll have an estate and a grand house with a huge library and private chapel and I'll learn to play the piano and ride horses.

6. Learn to play the piano.

7. Learn to ride a horse.