Musings from my mind

I have downgraded No Spend February to reduced spend February. I'm proud of myself for bring my lunch to work every single day this month. I am particularly proud that I did this even though I have had two occasions where I have had meetings in the city around lunch time. Normally this would mean I would stop and get my favourite ever chicken katsu curry, but not this month. It has been salad with tuna every day. Yummy! I have also stopped buying soy cappuccino and breakfast wrap on the way to work- that means I have saved $10.20 per day on breakfast alone. Proud girl!

It has been way, way too hard to do a complete no spend. I'm really proud of progressing to a reduced spend though. It's been a battle, but I do not have any new shoes this month or any new clothes. I did just discover a bag from Jacqui E in my wardrobe that I had forgotten about containing a new skirt and two new tops for work, so that is just as good as new clothes, right?

I had to buy beautiful baby Amelia presents, because I promised her mother she would get her real presents when I knew whether Amelia was a boy or girl. Girl! Hooray- I have been dying for ages for someone to have a girl. Amelia now has a really cute fairy skirt and a sweet denim dress to wear. On an aside, she is the most beautiful baby, I am hatching a plot to steal her. I went to dinner at Hil and Jeremy's last Thursday and she fell asleep on my shoulder for about 2 hours, too cute. Jeremy kept trying to put her to bed but I wouldn't let him. Instead of crying, she sort of makes snuffling sounds, it's funny.

I was supposed to be at Belgian Beer Bar on Friday night but resisted the urge- see, I am great at this whole reduced spend thing. I am proud of me!

When I get Mr Rudd's stimulus money* well, there is my NZ accommodation and ski pass paid for.

*I think that Mr Rudd's stimulus package is EXTREMELY ill advised and am not happy with it. I don't understand how he has managed to take our budget into defecit in less than 2 years when the liberal party pretty much saved 11 years for the economy to be as healthy as it was when they lost power. That doesn't mean I approve of the liberals either, quite the opposite. My feelings about the stimulus package are thus:

• We will be paying that $42bn off for all of our lifetimes and most of the next generations
• I salute the fact that he recognised the need to do something to boost the economy, but am strongly questioning whether handing out money to people left right and centre is the right thing to do.
• He is encouraging people to spend spend spend. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that why we are in this mess in the first place? Is giving out money that technically the government doesn't have going to encourage people to live within their means? I think not.
• He already gave a $1000 bonus out before Christmas to every battler in Australia- you got $1000 per kid under 18 and hey, you got $1000 if you are long term unemployed and claiming benefits. Yep, I'm calling this the "Plasma TV Stimulus Package"
• Speaking as a person who may soon also be unemployed due to the economic crisis, would we not be better, instead of just handing out money to almost everyone, using that money to do something about creating jobs for people? I'm pretty sure that he is only spending $600m of the $42bn on infrastructure projects. Wouldn't road, rail, highway and bridge upgrades be an excellent way to boost the economy by actually keeping people in work so that they can afford to put food on the table? Just a thought.
• There are rumours flying in the media that Ruddy will call an early election this year. 2 years early. This whole thing really is starting to smack a little of almost vote buying. The theory is that he wants to call the election in September, when the long term effects of his stimulus plan are yet to be seen but most of the "low" income earners will be "happy" after receiving their free money. Keep in mind, you will see this money if you earned less than or up to $100,000 last financial year. Crock. 

So we will have the possibility of a state and federal election this year. I am now going to research the Greens party. On principle, I will now refuse to vote for either Labour or the Coalition (Liberal/National parties) so must find out if I vote Greens, who do they give their preferences too. Dilemma. I just asked my dad that question and he looked at me as if I were a little bit mad...

My netball team won the preliminary semi final tonight, which means we are playing in the grand final next Monday night. I was kind of leaning more towards hoping we'd lose, because that would mean I would get a night off next week. No, that isn't normal is it?

As I once told Miss Kate, my life is a teensy bit chaotic. Because of my inability to flat out say no, my schedule is about to go bunta. From next week, I will have Thursday nights, Friday nights and Saturday nights off netball, but only until the end of April when our State League season starts. I will then be playing Thursday nights too.

The "proper" netball season hasn't even started yet and already I am sort of dreading it. Maybe I should drop a social team, but do I give up pink lycra dress or silver lycra dress team? Silver has all of my friends in it and I really enjoy it, but it's only division 2. Pink is a super strong competition and you know you've played when you get off that court, but I'm not really close to the girls. What to do, what to do?

And possibly Jill. Someone needs to tell the world about Nundah. One of us needs to explain...Cougar Central.

So far, so good. $11 spent on netball fees. I did not stop and get a coffee this morning and boy, did the rest of the office suffer for that.

I almost caved and got a diet coke for lunch, but luckily for me, buying anything for lunch involves either driving 5 minutes up the road or walking 10 minutes to get to the Valley centre. My workmates all thoughtfully pointed out that if I had brought my lunch and wasn't going to spend anything, there was really no need for me to leave the building. Nice of them.

Tomorrow I have two client meetings in the city so I will need to fork for coffees. At least that is all reimburseable. Oh, and I have like $150 in expenses being paid to me from December, so I'm totally going to storm through this month!

Downloading from Itunes doesn't count. I bought prepaid credit ages ago. If by ages, I mean 2 hours ago.

Funny story. I went to the 7-11 and asked for a $100 Itunes voucher. The girl told me that unfortunately the vouchers only came in $20, $30, $50 or $70, so she couldn't help me. I paused for just a second and asked if maybe I could have two $50 vouchers. That thought hadn't crossed her mind.

Also, my gym fees, private health cover, car loan repayment and WorldVision sponsorship don't count as they are direct debit. I'm more kind of interested in my expendable cash and not spending that.

So, my no-spend month did not get off to a good start. I spent this weekend with my friends Wendy and Dan who live on Bribie Island. Today we went to the side of the Island that the surf beach is on and had lunch at the surf club. Then a couple of cute surf lifesavers came around selling raffle tickets and it seemed rude not to buy any. After they drew the first raffle, the lifesavers came around again. What can I say, I'm a sucker for boys who spend their days on the beach saving other people's lives.

Starting tomorrow, no-spend month is on!

I am allowed to spend money on petrol and also for my netball games, which will be $10-$20 per week. I should be able to survive this as I am living at home and don't have to buy groceries or anything. Things may get hairy in two weeks time when I will be going to Jack's house again for her birthday party, but I'm sure I have enough alcohol in our house to kill an elephant, so that should be fine as well.

I'm not so sure how I will go without my morning coffee. I stop every morning as an adorable little cafe in Spring Hill for my soy cappuccino and my day doesn't feel right without it. I will have to suck it up and drink the coffee we have at work from the Nespresso machine. Big adjustment.

I'm really hoping I can go one month without supplementing my work wardrobe!

I am supposed to be finishing a lot of work I brough home with me this weekend. I am also supposed to be updating my resume. I don't think I will have a job for very much longer, so I have looked around and identified one of our clients who have recently won work on one of Queensland's biggest projects. There is an exciting secondment opportunity there for me, which means that theoretically I get to keep my position with Technical Resources, whilst contracting to another company. The bonus for TR is that they still have the benefit of my services but now get to bill another company for that, whilst having me on the inside there. There are a whole load of other benefits too but they are complex and it's late for all that.

What I should be doing is writing out a plan for what I will bring to this other company and updating my resume for them. What I am actually doing is looking at the Bluesfest website and downloading from Itunes any artists I don't currently have so Jill, Billy and I will be able to sing along once we get there.

That festival is getting better and better. I can't wait to see who is in the third lineup announcement!

It's 10:39pm, I finished playing 39 minutes ago and have since driven home, stood under a cold shower for ten minutes, gulped about a litre of cold water and gotten into my pyjamas. I still feel ikky and sweaty. There seriously needs to be some sort of ventilation other than "natural" in that place. Natural is akin to none.

On the plus side, probably the best game we have played as a team all season. Our new bright pink lycra dresses must be working for us. We played a team that handed us a whalloping by 24 goals last time we played them the week before Christmas. We turned the tables pretty hard tonight and beat them by 9. Am pretty impressed with the 35 goal turn around.

I always have a nemesis team in each division I play in, and tonight's team is it for Wednesday nights. I played with and against many of these girls years back and didn't like them then. Not much has changed. It was extra sweet to get up. Because I am playing a position in this team that I don't generally play, I have had to adapt my playing style a little bit. Normally as a circle defence player, I am extremely clean and will perhaps attract only one or two contact penalties per half, if that. I have had occasions where I am able to go an entire game without getting pulled once. In my new position as Wing Defence, I am required to run around after insanely fast and fit zippy little things whose job it is to feed the ball into the circle to the shooters. Neither of us are allowed into the goal circle to shoot or defend. My new tactic is just to remind them I'm there constantly. Seeing as I'm not all that fast, I have to try and out think these girls, so I will generally stay on their shoulder and try to get the intercept. This reminder may also take the form of "helping them" into the circle by giving them a bit of a nudge every time the umpire is looking the other way. It works in two very good ways. Either they are so busy trying to hold their ground and not let me push them around that they won't be paying attention to what's happening and will miss a ball coming their way, or the umpire will look just in time to see their foot going into the offside area. Everyone's a winner! It's a nice, healthy way to let off some aggression.

So my parents did a similar trip to Kate and I this Christmas. Some things were not similar, like the fact that they were on the road at 4:30am the day after Boxing Day whereas Carlos hit the tarmac closer to 7:30am to start off our trip. They went from Brisbane to Dubbo where they also enjoyed a night out, to Bendigo (another night, another similarity) to Port Campbell. Huh. We started our Great Ocean Road trip at Warnambool. They missed the whale nursery. And the whales. That may have been a seasonal thing though.

You know what else was similar about our trips?

The weather. Kate and I left Brisbane for Victoria in the middle of winter and Trace and John's departure was right after the summer solstice, it was below 5 degrees most mornings in Victoria. Trace is now the proud owner of a brand new winter coat which she wore buttoned up the whole time along with a few new pairs of sweatpants. She spent her three days in her favourite city in the world, Melbourne, bundled to the max, scurrying along city streets amid blasts of icy cold winds. It was in her words, f-ing freezing.

Fast forward their trip a few days to NSW, where the reverse is true. They crossed back over the border at Deniliquin, and having crossed the Murray, stopped at the closest town where Mumma proceeded to change back into her summer shorts. For her summer holiday.

I think it would be virtually impossible to overpack on a trip to Melbourne.

Thanks Kate!

Highlight the things you have done. I'm just going to go with the things I've done ever, not just 2008

Highlight the things you have done.

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band.
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to Charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9.Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (or both.)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing (indoors)
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung Karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (charcoal)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie (My house was, that should totally count)
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business- kind of. I am consulting to a start up business right now and doing more work than the business owner. That also needs to count
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

I've been meaning to post and this has just saved me :-)

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

XOXO