From bad to good. Had a wicked weekend. Friday saw the "Australia Day" fireworks, the biggest in the country. Sat on the river bank opposite the skyscrapers and watched them explode over the water, the reflections glittering on the glass of the buildings. Pretty good. Thankfully the police didn't enforce the "no alcohol rule" so me and me mate Dave were allowed to polish off a bottle of vodka between us. The night got a bit messy after that, but it was fun, and we didn't drown in the outdoor swimming pool, although we may have awoken some neighbours.
Anyway on Saturday it was down to Dave's mate's house. A nice chap called Craig who lived in a house with a speedboat moored on a canal at the bottom of his garden. The day was spent cruising along canals drinking beer, stopping off at pubs to drink wine and eat fish n chips and whizzing along at 55mph on a 10 mile wide inlet. Let me tell you 55mph feels a lot faster in a boat! It really feels like your whizzing! Then we swam with dolphins and generally had a stupendeously brilliant day.
Sunday chilled out and jogged for miles and miles to try and sweat out the alcohol. Then on Monday thought enough is enough and came out and told my boss that I was leaving in 3 weeks time. Definitely the best move I could make. Now I can sleep at night and don't feel like I'm being deceitful. I hate being dishonest. She was really nice about it but understandably gutted. However at least she knows where we stand and I don't have to keep avoiding certain topics of conversation. Slept fine this week.
Yesterday Lilian cooked a lovely "2 in 1 pie", made famous in a pub in Nailsworth (my home town, near Stroud in Gloucestershire). This was for some of my distant Pom relatives that have now settled in Australia. Had better go now, I'm off to watch "The Queen", my buddy Brett has got hold of a pirate DVD copy.
Anyway very happy here. I've started to really love Perth. People here are generally so much more friendly and down to earth than in London. And the weather's better and if you have a middling income you can lead a life you could never lead in the UK unless you were rich, ie have your own speedboat moored at the bottom of your garden. The standard of living is so much better here. Seriously thinking of one day emigrating, who knows? Can you tell I like it here?
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Chronic Insomnia - What a Nuisance!
An irritating week. Firstly have to have a minor operation on Thursday which leaves me in slight discomfort over the weekend. Forced to spend Friday lying down which thankfully allows me to relax and watch 3 DVD’s. Also cause I’m on antibiotics this means I behave myself Friday and Saturday night. On Sunday night its role reversal and I’m the one looking after my tipsy friend. Nice to repay the favour.
Then Sunday night arrive home and confronted with the fact I owe $150 for the phone bill. My family doesn’t have unlimited broadband and had already used up their free megabytes or something. So when I downloaded those stupid USA photos to the yahoo website it ran up a $150 bill! So here is the link again, gotta get my money’s worth!
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dizeestroudy/album?.dir=5dccscd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos
Then go to sleep and wake up at 4am and can’t go back to sleep, not one wink, so absolutely knackered at work on Monday but bumble my way through sales and frantic estate agent life. Do all the right insomniac things; don’t drink caffeine, eat healthy, go jogging after work and meditate. Feel like a zombie Monday evening and pass out around midnight then wake up at 3am and guess what…. Can’t go back to sleep! Argh! Déjà vu! Insomnia Insomnia there is no escape.
So at 8am after 5 hours of being awake, my eyes are itchy and gluey, my head throbs and I’m having slightly delusional thoughts. I can’t function decently at work so phone in sick. Another $150 (a days work) lost so my savings are dented again. Nobody I’ve ever known has insomnia so bad, so it’s not their fault that they can’t understand how I feel. So it’s the usual …. everyone has sleeping problems, people still go to work when they are tired, what’s wrong with you ….. stuff off my family. Insomnia really has been and still is the bain of my life. But unlike when I was young and used to panic and worry I’m old and wise enough now not to worry and just deal with it. When I’m settled down a bit more it will get better.
So last night was forced to take a couple of sleeping pills and slept OK and back to work today, and life carries on. Only another 3 weeks at the estate agents and then off to Sydney anyway. And got the biggest Australia day fireworks in Australia this Friday to look forward to. Then the weekend after spending a day on my friends friends speedboat. Then the weekend after the weekend after I’m off to Sydney. So its all good. And I’m still alive, still have 2 legs and 2 arms, my brain may be scramled but its still in one piece. And I have worked very hard and saved money in my 2 months in Perth and made good friends and done lots of exciting things. So it really is all good, well mostly good apart from the shit bits
Then Sunday night arrive home and confronted with the fact I owe $150 for the phone bill. My family doesn’t have unlimited broadband and had already used up their free megabytes or something. So when I downloaded those stupid USA photos to the yahoo website it ran up a $150 bill! So here is the link again, gotta get my money’s worth!
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dizeestroudy/album?.dir=5dccscd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos
Then go to sleep and wake up at 4am and can’t go back to sleep, not one wink, so absolutely knackered at work on Monday but bumble my way through sales and frantic estate agent life. Do all the right insomniac things; don’t drink caffeine, eat healthy, go jogging after work and meditate. Feel like a zombie Monday evening and pass out around midnight then wake up at 3am and guess what…. Can’t go back to sleep! Argh! Déjà vu! Insomnia Insomnia there is no escape.
So at 8am after 5 hours of being awake, my eyes are itchy and gluey, my head throbs and I’m having slightly delusional thoughts. I can’t function decently at work so phone in sick. Another $150 (a days work) lost so my savings are dented again. Nobody I’ve ever known has insomnia so bad, so it’s not their fault that they can’t understand how I feel. So it’s the usual …. everyone has sleeping problems, people still go to work when they are tired, what’s wrong with you ….. stuff off my family. Insomnia really has been and still is the bain of my life. But unlike when I was young and used to panic and worry I’m old and wise enough now not to worry and just deal with it. When I’m settled down a bit more it will get better.
So last night was forced to take a couple of sleeping pills and slept OK and back to work today, and life carries on. Only another 3 weeks at the estate agents and then off to Sydney anyway. And got the biggest Australia day fireworks in Australia this Friday to look forward to. Then the weekend after spending a day on my friends friends speedboat. Then the weekend after the weekend after I’m off to Sydney. So its all good. And I’m still alive, still have 2 legs and 2 arms, my brain may be scramled but its still in one piece. And I have worked very hard and saved money in my 2 months in Perth and made good friends and done lots of exciting things. So it really is all good, well mostly good apart from the shit bits
Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Being a good samaritan
Was just driving home from work when I saw someone break down. Others just went past, the miserable sods, but I stopped and offered my help. Basically just had to help push start the car. So that will give me good karma to compensate for yesterday morning when I stole a can of redbull from the petrol station. However this was only because I'd taken dodgy sleeping tabs Sunday night and I'd woken up extremely groggy. So off to peti station for good old red bull, a queue of 15 people and 1 person at the till - dilema don't you think? I needed the redbull, couldn't afford to be late for work, so not really stealing, is it.
At the end of my last entry I'd said that I was off to spend quality time with Josh, my little bro..... So I played with him in the spa. Afterwards we sat down at the dinner table and he has this huge swollen bruise on his forehead. His mum goes what the hell is this and Josh goes, "I banged my head when Tim through me in the pool". Nice one Josh, poor little sod too young to realise he was getting me into trouble. Moral of the story - don't play with little children.
Hassles this morning too. Had 15 Jan deadline to pay this stupid $350US speeding fine, I'd gone to the bank at the weekend and sorted it so that I could post a cheque off, just needed to get the name and plead another week or so extension. Well cause of stupid time zones had to get up extra early before work and phone up, so not happy. Almost an hour on some stupid waiting service, pressing 0 every 20 bloody seconds and I still didn't get through! So stupid deadlines passed now! Might not be able to go back to the states now, oh well, being melodramatic really, calm down. Hopefully rental car company won't start deducting money of my stupid credit/debit card, they have details of both. Ooops silly me, should have just given credit details then I can always cancel the card - learn a new lesson every day.
Otherwise the last week hasn't been too exciting, work work work last week, Had a pleasant weekend though, friday night went out for some drinkies. Saturday sunbathed on the beach and had some more drinks. Sunday hung out and went to the cinema to see Holiday, it was crap. But last night saw "About a Boy" DVD that I'd rented from the library and that was excellent, a jolly good film I thought.
New job is stressful but it'll earn me good money so gotta do it. The woman I work for is lovely and quite funny. But its way too hectic and I don't like being a salesman, I haven't been anywhere near meeting my silly "weekly targets" and to be frank I don't give a sh*t. I'm outta there in 5 weeks.
Then off to Sydney to party for Mardi Gras and go back to some easy job like bar work just to cover costs. Thankfully a friend of mine from Perth will be coming so should have a whale of a time. Happy Days.
At the end of my last entry I'd said that I was off to spend quality time with Josh, my little bro..... So I played with him in the spa. Afterwards we sat down at the dinner table and he has this huge swollen bruise on his forehead. His mum goes what the hell is this and Josh goes, "I banged my head when Tim through me in the pool". Nice one Josh, poor little sod too young to realise he was getting me into trouble. Moral of the story - don't play with little children.
Hassles this morning too. Had 15 Jan deadline to pay this stupid $350US speeding fine, I'd gone to the bank at the weekend and sorted it so that I could post a cheque off, just needed to get the name and plead another week or so extension. Well cause of stupid time zones had to get up extra early before work and phone up, so not happy. Almost an hour on some stupid waiting service, pressing 0 every 20 bloody seconds and I still didn't get through! So stupid deadlines passed now! Might not be able to go back to the states now, oh well, being melodramatic really, calm down. Hopefully rental car company won't start deducting money of my stupid credit/debit card, they have details of both. Ooops silly me, should have just given credit details then I can always cancel the card - learn a new lesson every day.
Otherwise the last week hasn't been too exciting, work work work last week, Had a pleasant weekend though, friday night went out for some drinkies. Saturday sunbathed on the beach and had some more drinks. Sunday hung out and went to the cinema to see Holiday, it was crap. But last night saw "About a Boy" DVD that I'd rented from the library and that was excellent, a jolly good film I thought.
New job is stressful but it'll earn me good money so gotta do it. The woman I work for is lovely and quite funny. But its way too hectic and I don't like being a salesman, I haven't been anywhere near meeting my silly "weekly targets" and to be frank I don't give a sh*t. I'm outta there in 5 weeks.
Then off to Sydney to party for Mardi Gras and go back to some easy job like bar work just to cover costs. Thankfully a friend of mine from Perth will be coming so should have a whale of a time. Happy Days.
Monday, January 08, 2007
Fun and then work
Well
1) My week off work was ace, loads of fun and just what the doctor ordered
2) Starting work today at an estate agents was horrible
Anyway lets start off with the nicer stuff. Phoned up pub last tuesday and said could I have this week off work, no problem, sorted. Meant I could do some essential shopping and sort stuff out and that. In addition I had time to hang out with my new mates at last. One day me and my buddy Dave did a trip down to some touristy village where we went cheese tasting, chocolate tasting, wine tasting and ate the produce of "ye olde sweet shoppe" = felt sick. We went on a day trip. This village was 300km or 4 hours away, so an 8 hour round trip. To the Aussies this is nothing. This is like going on a day trip to Newcastle from London! Crazy. But at least I fell asleep in the car after gorging myself stupid.
Managed to sample the local fish and chips a couple of times sat by the beach with a lad from the pub called Brett, very nice. Also walked round the city centre and the nearby historical city of Freemantle, so finally feel like I'm getting to know my own backyard. Friday night was spent enjoying a few drinks and smokes without having to worry about work the next day. Very pleasant and in the morning a few of us rustled up a good ole fry up. Happy Days :-)
But today had to start yet another new job - Ugh! As usual couldn't sleep last night, never bloody can the night before my first day, I'm far too neurotic! Essentially I worry about not being able to sleep, so therefore won't be alert and on the ball the next day, which means I will make a bad first impression (and first impressions are so important), this keeps me from sleeping which gets me even more worried as this means I'll be even more tired the next day. Not difficult to see how a vicious circle develops. Unfortunately no sleeping tablets left so I had to tough it out! The next day 2 red bulls and a coffee kept me going and as usual all the panick was for nothing and I seemed to impress.
Job is working for this freelance estate agent, just me and her in the office. She's a hectic woman but very nice. However I don't think I'm cut out for running an office, I'm too scatterbrained and unorganised. Will as usual blag it as I'm only gonna do it for 2 months and can't be arsed to look for yet another job! Also the job is only 25 hours a week so will still have to work at the pub on the weekend to save money, was hoping to have my weekends free from now on - argghhh! And I hate having to be deceitful. They think I want to make a career out of being an estate agent and today I had to meet the managing director of the company and my boss and lie about about my long term goals blah blah blah. I feel guilty. But sod it thats the cut throat world of capitalism for you and anyway its not as if these estate agents aren't out for themselves.
Gonna go for a jog now to tire myself stupid and then promised to play with Josh (my baby brother) tonight as I've been neglecting him a bit recently.
1) My week off work was ace, loads of fun and just what the doctor ordered
2) Starting work today at an estate agents was horrible
Anyway lets start off with the nicer stuff. Phoned up pub last tuesday and said could I have this week off work, no problem, sorted. Meant I could do some essential shopping and sort stuff out and that. In addition I had time to hang out with my new mates at last. One day me and my buddy Dave did a trip down to some touristy village where we went cheese tasting, chocolate tasting, wine tasting and ate the produce of "ye olde sweet shoppe" = felt sick. We went on a day trip. This village was 300km or 4 hours away, so an 8 hour round trip. To the Aussies this is nothing. This is like going on a day trip to Newcastle from London! Crazy. But at least I fell asleep in the car after gorging myself stupid.
Managed to sample the local fish and chips a couple of times sat by the beach with a lad from the pub called Brett, very nice. Also walked round the city centre and the nearby historical city of Freemantle, so finally feel like I'm getting to know my own backyard. Friday night was spent enjoying a few drinks and smokes without having to worry about work the next day. Very pleasant and in the morning a few of us rustled up a good ole fry up. Happy Days :-)
But today had to start yet another new job - Ugh! As usual couldn't sleep last night, never bloody can the night before my first day, I'm far too neurotic! Essentially I worry about not being able to sleep, so therefore won't be alert and on the ball the next day, which means I will make a bad first impression (and first impressions are so important), this keeps me from sleeping which gets me even more worried as this means I'll be even more tired the next day. Not difficult to see how a vicious circle develops. Unfortunately no sleeping tablets left so I had to tough it out! The next day 2 red bulls and a coffee kept me going and as usual all the panick was for nothing and I seemed to impress.
Job is working for this freelance estate agent, just me and her in the office. She's a hectic woman but very nice. However I don't think I'm cut out for running an office, I'm too scatterbrained and unorganised. Will as usual blag it as I'm only gonna do it for 2 months and can't be arsed to look for yet another job! Also the job is only 25 hours a week so will still have to work at the pub on the weekend to save money, was hoping to have my weekends free from now on - argghhh! And I hate having to be deceitful. They think I want to make a career out of being an estate agent and today I had to meet the managing director of the company and my boss and lie about about my long term goals blah blah blah. I feel guilty. But sod it thats the cut throat world of capitalism for you and anyway its not as if these estate agents aren't out for themselves.
Gonna go for a jog now to tire myself stupid and then promised to play with Josh (my baby brother) tonight as I've been neglecting him a bit recently.
Monday, January 01, 2007
Sun, Poms, Christmas and New Year
Am awake at 1am so may as well update my blog. Am encountering lots of new problems in sunshine land, like how to look after sunglasses? I don't wear them in England but everythings so dam bright ALL the time that I got fed up of constantly squinting. Anyway after breaking yet another pair I'm forced to buy some more yesterday. The trouble is I'm always taking them off when I go inside and so they go on then off then on then off etc. But where do you put them? In your pocket they get squashed, on the top of your head they flatten your gelled hair and make your hair look stupid, in my bag they always get crushed. If for instance you leave them on the chair next to you in a waiting room then you forget they are there and leave them behind. Such a dilema, don't you think? I get round this by always buying the cheapest pair then I don't care if I lose/break them, its only a pain as I hate shopping and have to go shopping again!
Also wearing flip flops are a nuisance cause I can't put my insole in them so I'm therefore unbalanced. But trainers aren't practical as I often end up on the beach. And then with shorts money and stuff is always falling out of the pockets. And even if I get decent pockets it feels like I've got lead weights jangling around banging against my thighs. Most disagreeable. I need a handbag! Or is it a manbag. Oh the troubles of living in a hot sunny country. And then there's all that blasted suncream you have to put on all the time. Give me a cold, dark, wet country anytime................... or maybe not!
No really its ace but you can't get away from "the bloody Poms" (thats Australian for "the English"). They are everywhere in Perth. I reckon about 1 in 3 people that live here are born in England, and thats not counting the tourists. Walk round the shopping centres and all you'll hear are cockney accents or geordie or typical english or whatever. Millions of them must emigrate here, all families in search of England in the sun. I suppose the foods the same, the cultures very similar, half the suburbs are named after English places. Went today to a music festival next to Ascot races where all the women were dressed up in silly hats just like England. They've still got our flag incorporated into their own and the queens head is still on all the coins. And Australia Day is celebrating when the British first planted the flag on their soil and claimed it as a British land, as opposed to the Americans who celebrate independance and when they rid themselves of us. Mind you most of them hate us and want to get rid of all these silly links, who can blame them? Wierd really. New Zealand and Australia may be the other side of the world but whether they like it or not they are definitely more like England than any other country in the world.
Anyway when was my last entry, oh the 22 December. Well last night was New Years Eve and I was working in the bleeding pub, 6pm-3am with no breaks! (Actually had a little tiff with the manager over that). Too rushed off my feet to stop and reflect on the event I was working at. Oh well its just another night really and its not as I have a shortfall of drinking and partying is it? And I earn't shit loads of money.
Hmm the weekend after my last entry. Well Saturday worked at the pub and after work at 3:30am I thought sod it I will go out clubbing with some of the other staff. The club had crap music and was filled with ugly people but it was nice to get out and about. The pubs/clubs in Perth are mainly full of old or ugly people but I think its cause all the beautiful young things head off to Melbourne, Sydney or abroad. Its mainly families who emigrate here, people who want a nice quiet safe place to bring up their kids.
Anyway this meant Sunday (Christmas Eve) was a bit hungover and left myself with one hour (before the shopping centre shut) to do all my christmas shopping. So the usual frantic rush. Oh yeah and saw a forest fire after stepping outside my front door to big clouds of black smoke, scary! Christmas day the usual eat too much, drink to much, got shit presents I don't want (why do relatives never listen, do not buy me clothes!) but it was compensated by going to the beach and seeing the best sunset I've ever seen, well a bloody good one anyway. And also it was nice buying my baby brother a remote control car and seeing his eyes light up and watching him play with it for hours, my paternal instinct kicking in? Scary! Maybe getting older is about giving and not taking? Hmmmm. Piss off.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I ended up working day shifts in the pub helping with their outdoor beergarden rennovations and also doing up all the wasteground around the pub for their new years eve celebrations (where I ended up working). So back to labouring in the sweltering heat, I can't seem to get away from it. But its quite fun out here in Perth, I've ended up doing lots of different jobs. Anyway Wednesday thought I'd have a few after work, forgot to have tea, so with an unlined stomach it went to my head a little. Got the old weed cravings and so ended up doing buckets for the first time in many a year. Hmm this time they were quite fun and I didn't "think too much". Still next day at work was a little fragile.
Today was pleasant though, a friend from the pub, one of the punters actually, got free tickets (usually cost $99) to this music festival next to where the famous Perth Cup horse races were held at Ascot, hence why there were all the poshly dressed ponses stumbling in half cut later on in the day as I mentioned before. Anyway it was all the usual Indie stuff but Aussie bands I'd never heard off. But it was fun and I heard a song I'd heard many times before and it was nice to see it live and then we gorged ourselves on some lovely fish and chips. So a lovely day out. And for once in my life I wasn't hungover/comedown on new years day.
Right shit its 2am now. Time to go. Last note is that I'm football deprived here, haven't watched a match in ages, dad won't buy cable and don't like going to pub on my own, please help! And Aston Villa what is wrong with you? After a promising start its turned out to be yet another false dawn and you are back to being shit again.
Also wearing flip flops are a nuisance cause I can't put my insole in them so I'm therefore unbalanced. But trainers aren't practical as I often end up on the beach. And then with shorts money and stuff is always falling out of the pockets. And even if I get decent pockets it feels like I've got lead weights jangling around banging against my thighs. Most disagreeable. I need a handbag! Or is it a manbag. Oh the troubles of living in a hot sunny country. And then there's all that blasted suncream you have to put on all the time. Give me a cold, dark, wet country anytime................... or maybe not!
No really its ace but you can't get away from "the bloody Poms" (thats Australian for "the English"). They are everywhere in Perth. I reckon about 1 in 3 people that live here are born in England, and thats not counting the tourists. Walk round the shopping centres and all you'll hear are cockney accents or geordie or typical english or whatever. Millions of them must emigrate here, all families in search of England in the sun. I suppose the foods the same, the cultures very similar, half the suburbs are named after English places. Went today to a music festival next to Ascot races where all the women were dressed up in silly hats just like England. They've still got our flag incorporated into their own and the queens head is still on all the coins. And Australia Day is celebrating when the British first planted the flag on their soil and claimed it as a British land, as opposed to the Americans who celebrate independance and when they rid themselves of us. Mind you most of them hate us and want to get rid of all these silly links, who can blame them? Wierd really. New Zealand and Australia may be the other side of the world but whether they like it or not they are definitely more like England than any other country in the world.
Anyway when was my last entry, oh the 22 December. Well last night was New Years Eve and I was working in the bleeding pub, 6pm-3am with no breaks! (Actually had a little tiff with the manager over that). Too rushed off my feet to stop and reflect on the event I was working at. Oh well its just another night really and its not as I have a shortfall of drinking and partying is it? And I earn't shit loads of money.
Hmm the weekend after my last entry. Well Saturday worked at the pub and after work at 3:30am I thought sod it I will go out clubbing with some of the other staff. The club had crap music and was filled with ugly people but it was nice to get out and about. The pubs/clubs in Perth are mainly full of old or ugly people but I think its cause all the beautiful young things head off to Melbourne, Sydney or abroad. Its mainly families who emigrate here, people who want a nice quiet safe place to bring up their kids.
Anyway this meant Sunday (Christmas Eve) was a bit hungover and left myself with one hour (before the shopping centre shut) to do all my christmas shopping. So the usual frantic rush. Oh yeah and saw a forest fire after stepping outside my front door to big clouds of black smoke, scary! Christmas day the usual eat too much, drink to much, got shit presents I don't want (why do relatives never listen, do not buy me clothes!) but it was compensated by going to the beach and seeing the best sunset I've ever seen, well a bloody good one anyway. And also it was nice buying my baby brother a remote control car and seeing his eyes light up and watching him play with it for hours, my paternal instinct kicking in? Scary! Maybe getting older is about giving and not taking? Hmmmm. Piss off.
Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I ended up working day shifts in the pub helping with their outdoor beergarden rennovations and also doing up all the wasteground around the pub for their new years eve celebrations (where I ended up working). So back to labouring in the sweltering heat, I can't seem to get away from it. But its quite fun out here in Perth, I've ended up doing lots of different jobs. Anyway Wednesday thought I'd have a few after work, forgot to have tea, so with an unlined stomach it went to my head a little. Got the old weed cravings and so ended up doing buckets for the first time in many a year. Hmm this time they were quite fun and I didn't "think too much". Still next day at work was a little fragile.
Today was pleasant though, a friend from the pub, one of the punters actually, got free tickets (usually cost $99) to this music festival next to where the famous Perth Cup horse races were held at Ascot, hence why there were all the poshly dressed ponses stumbling in half cut later on in the day as I mentioned before. Anyway it was all the usual Indie stuff but Aussie bands I'd never heard off. But it was fun and I heard a song I'd heard many times before and it was nice to see it live and then we gorged ourselves on some lovely fish and chips. So a lovely day out. And for once in my life I wasn't hungover/comedown on new years day.
Right shit its 2am now. Time to go. Last note is that I'm football deprived here, haven't watched a match in ages, dad won't buy cable and don't like going to pub on my own, please help! And Aston Villa what is wrong with you? After a promising start its turned out to be yet another false dawn and you are back to being shit again.
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