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2007: Year of the…

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Looking back over 2007 — oh, my! What a year!

For me, 2007 has been Year of the:

House

Well — more precisely — villa. Though technically I bought it in December 2006. But I’ve just had a full year in my “new” home and I cannot describe how much pleasure it’s brought me. Not least because this is the first time in my life I’ve lived in my own home — i.e. not shared with anyone else.

Foodie

This year, I learned to cook. (Well, I’m still very much learning!) I also learned to appreciate good food that I, myself (wow!) have prepared. Also, kudos to Al, I developed a strong interest in the Slow Food movement and joined Slow Food Perth and the Organic Growers Association of Western Australia as a consumer member. I love what is happening in these areas and feel it’s important to support them as much as I (and my limited budget) allows. Quite a change from the ignoramus I was a year ago…

Five Senses Coffee Addict

I make no apologies for becoming addicted to the wonderful Five Senses Coffee. Their service is second to none, as is the quality of their coffee beans. My current favourite blend is Johnny Cash. My idea of heaven!

Decision to get cochlear implants

My hearing had become noticeably worse, or maybe it’s just that I no longer had Andy to buffer me and I was pretty much on my own and deaf. Either way, it was tough, and I decided to move forward in that area. It’s All Good™!

Job

I started work as a full time employee again for the first time in over three years. (And, I might add, I’m very excited about that, believing it will lead to Good Things™!)

Introspect

In this last year I have hit some pretty low lows, and it’s caused me to look inwards a lot. I have learned a lot about myself and about life. I can’t help looking at a so-called “bad time” as a Learning Experience™ — of course this viewpoint is always easiest achieved when said bad time is in the past! But I do believe I’ve grown as a person as a result of all that’s happened.

Friendships

It’s easy, when you’re married and living in the styx, as I was, to let friendships lapse. Well, if not exactly lapse, take a back seat, anyway. Since becoming single, I have learned how much I need and value my friends — old, new, and virtual. Mind you, those online friends who I may or may not have met, I consider to be some of my closest friends in the truest sense. Perhaps only a geek could understand, I don’t know, but it’s a fact.

In addition, and above all, I appreciate and value my family, and that includes the friendship and support of Andy, who continues to be a rock. Thank you, Andy!

Grown-up

Yeah. I stopped being such a princess. Now, I pay my own bills, cook my own food, run my own baths, pour my own wines, make my own cheese and crackers, put out my own rubbish bin! And it doesn’t hurt a bit. (Though the pampering in my previous life was, of course, just lovely!)

Weaning off IM

Or maybe that should be “Year of the Twitter”. A combination of my other responsibilities and the way Twitter has been a spectacularly successful substitue for IM — for me, anyway. I don’t want to sit in front of the computer all the time, but still want interaction, and Twitter fits the bill perfectly.

Happy New Year!

I wish all of you the bestest year in 2008! However you celebrate its beginnings, may it be successful, healthy and happy in all ways!

Ahhh. It’s Christmas

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Now I’ve recovered somewhat from the gobsmacking amazingness of the extraordinary email rant I received the other day, I just can’t get over how great my life is. Most of you know it hasn’t always been thus (well, whose life is great all the time?) so I intend to absorb this and really make the most of it.

The lead-up to Christmas is always mad, and this year has been no exception, with a few extra little spanners in the works just to keep things interesting!

I worked through the night on Thursday night (well, ok, I did get an hour’s sleep — I got to bed at 5:45am) and then headed off to work. Andy drove me and my manager in, as it was The Day of the Office Christmas Party. I felt nekkid without my laptop… but I sacrificed my attachment to it for a good cause!

The party was at the Left Bank in Fremantle. I’d never been there before (being a pub, it’s a bit too far to taxi it there and back from my place, and who would go to a pub if they weren’t going to drink, anyway?) and it was just great! The meal was superb. It always amazes me when restaurants can churn out meals for 200-odd (very odd, at that!) people at once, and for that meal to be utterly delicious and perfectly cooked… well, mine was, anyway. Yummo!

The one problem… just a tinsy, winsy little problem… was that a waitress spilt water on the table. Now, this may not have been such a major problem, except that my mobile phone was on the table. My mobile phone subsequently… died.

Not being able to use a phone (any phone) as a phone, to make phone calls, this presented me with the problem of how to let Andy know when to pick me up. My manager kindly let me use his mobile phone to SMS but I’m not the most geeky, gadgety person in the world (contrary to appearances! Technical stuff boggles my mind) and I struggled to figure it out. My manager was being picked up by his wife so I gratefully accepted a lift home with them, which was a blessed relief!

Very isolating to be out of contact with the world, though… I slept badly in my agitation and got up very early (who needs sleep, anyway?) and was at the shops almost first thing to get a replacement phone!

I ended up with a very satisfactory Sony Ericsson K850i, which superseded my old K800i, now in the possession of my older son. There’s a silver lining to every cloud — I really didn’t like my last phone, the M600i, much once I got to know it.

A busy weekend ensued, shopping and making Christmas preparations… and cooking! I made a superb Balsamic Steak with Cannelloni Bean Mash and Salsa on Saturday night, and a delectable, fragrant Pork and Lemongrass Curry last night. Today has been spent cleaning (and, I confess, drinking Yellowglen) and I think everything is under control. (But I’ve been known to be mistaken!)

Tomorrow, Christmas Day, Andy and Connor are coming over first thing, for breakfast. I’m not sure what they’re doing for the rest of the day but in the late afternoon the rest of the family will join us here for dinner. Andy is going to cook a ham and a turkey in the Weber kettle BBQs. There will be much love and laughter and food and wine and Christmas cheer!

To all my friends, and also all the readers I have never even met or corresponded with, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. May it be safe and peaceful, and with all my heart I hope there is no loneliness for you at Christmas time. (I’ve been there: loneliness sucks and I don’t wish that on anyone, especially at Christmas. If you’re going to be alone at Christmas and if you’re in Perth, please do get in touch!)

Take care and stay safe, me mateys! Merrrrrrrrrrrrrry Christmas!