Another decade down

I know that purists will say that the decade isn’t over until the end of 2010 but it’s my blog and I say now’s the right time for a review of the first decade of the 21st century.

Here are some of the highlights according to Louise.

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2000: I started the year in between jobs but with definite prospects so no real concerns. I had a 7 year old son, no man (some things never change) and I had my eye on a house that I coveted for my very first ownership experience.  At one stage that year Rory got airlifted off his dad’s yacht after getting hit in the head by the boom – scary stuff, he didn’t know anyone for hours afterwards. The year ended with me and Rory settled into the new house, a promotion at work, a boyfriend of sorts and a brand new nephew. A perplexing choice (in my opinion) was made made by the American electorate but it was a very good year all in all.

2001: My best friend moved to Australia and the boyfriend became an ex. Horrible happenings in the US. The only bright side was that a lovely puppy, later named Bonnie, was born and adopted by yours truly. I quit smoking that year and lasted 8 months before falling off the wagon. Rory racked up over 40,000 kilometres in flights between Auckland and his dad’s place in Perth, Western Australia. I went nowhere.

2002: Met another cheating jerk. Swore off men forever.

2003: Menopause. At 37 years old. Rory turned 10 and to celebrate his dad took him to Africa to explore for 3 months. I cried myself to sleep every night from missing him though the grief did great things for my career as I worked 15 hours a day and earned another promotion. The US declared war on Iraq – I remember something about WMD? My older sister was very ill but thankfully recovered fully. I got away briefly at the end of the year to spend time (and money) with my friend in Victoria, Australia.

2004: Got to Thailand again this year – one of my very fave places to escape the kiwi winter. Also got in another visit to Victoria. Another nephew born – that made four but still no nieces. Everything else was bad that year - horrible happenings, this time in Spain and atrocities continued in Darfur. And then that catastrophic tsunami on Boxing Day to finish the year.

2005: Finally quit chewing my nails to mark my 40th birthday. Katrina struck. It was 10 years since we lost my sister so we had a party to remember her by. Rory spent Christmas snowboarding in Japan with his dad – it was my first Christmas without him and it was hard.

2006: Rory started high school. Saddam Hussein was hanged and Steve Irwin got stabbed by a stingray. Crikey.

2007: Sinn Fein and the DUP hammered out an agreement for a power-sharing government in northern Ireland. Benazir Bhutto was assassinated. Rory’s dad moved back to NZ and for the first time ever we did the every second weekend part time dad thing – I started to remember what a real social life was like. I drank too much.

2008: Quit smoking again (18 months now and still going strong). Got addicted to Facebook. The Kiwis won the Rugby League World Cup and the hottest tennis player ever, Rafael Nadal, is ranked #1. Somali entrepreneurs found their niche in the piracy business. I met a man with real potential until the day he slammed Rory against a wall for looking at him sideways. Got a couple of long weekends away in Australia. Started new role managing projects at work and commuting to Wellington city twice a week.  Rory had a tumour removed from inside his jaw – it was benign. I spent most of the year exhausted. Bought new house and moved in just before Christmas. Whew, what  a year!

2009: Started the year with a new pastime – blogging. Met lots of wonderful new friends. There were terrible bushfires in Victoria so I went to console my friend. Witnessed a terrible car accident. Started reading about Tao Buddhism. Centre-right government elected in NZ for the first time in many years. I bought a lovely new car. A never ending cycle of study. Rory turned 16 and attended his first school ball, my mum and dad both turned 70, dad retired finally and my youngest nephew started school – still no nieces, have given up on that ever happening now. 

 

 

 

 

 

…and here we are nearly at the very end of 2009. That was my decade in brief; how about sharing yours?

 

 

Happy Christmas everyone.

Mrs Krabappel’s sister

Following Kate’s post of Friday, I have finally figured out how to get my picture out of the ‘Simpsonising’ machine and into a jpeg format.  Actually I didn’t figure it out at all, I sought and received the necessary advice from Kate about how she’d managed it (FYI we used the snipping tool in Vista).

…and here it is for what it’s worth. I like that this exercise was ‘interpretative’ and as a result both Bonnie (aka Santa’s Little Helper) and I look somewhat trimmer than we actually do in real life.  I am definitely not happy with the ugly shoe and clothing choices but I do think my new hair do looks pretty flash.

I think I look like I could be Mrs Krabappel’s younger, less yellow and way hotter sister and that’s why I’m in front of Springfield Elementary School.  When schools out for the day Edna and I are going to talk to the doctor about her jaundice and about her giving up the smokes before they kill her.  I also think she needs a new outfit and some new shoes so she doesn’t have to wear her green slippers everywhere.

Thanks Kate, that was fun.

Only just…

I am still smoke free. Just.

I met two friends after work and we shared a couple of bottles of sauv blanc. It was a lovely sunny autumn evening so we moved outside and by glass number three I was seriously craving a cigarette. Neither of my friends are smokers but a girl at the table behind me was smoking. Lots.

After an hour of hanging out, I had to leave. There is no way I am going to throw away nine months of nicotine deprived torture and if I had stayed any longer I might have hit the girl up for one.

Speaking of wine, look at these groovy glasses from a site called freshome.com – check out the site for some cool tips and inspiration for your place.

Have a great Monday

and Tuesday!

Beautiful

Here’s a few pics of some fabulous fashion for anyone who’s interested. None of these are, or ever will be, owned by me. I do not buy designer shoes, bags or clothes but that doesn’t stop me appreciating their beauty.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Intelliwench suggested in a comment earlier today, that I may have replaced my smoking habit with another habit and I suspect she may be right.

After some thought I am now officially putting the shopping and fashion lust focus to rest, if for no other reason that I am dirt poor and frankly my recent rampant materialism is becoming distasteful even to me.

It would be great if others out there in cyber land could help me make it through the bleak NZ winter by sharing their own shopping stories while I curb my spending over the next few months.

Smoke Free

The ‘calculator’ on the Quit Line blog tells me: 

264 days smoke free

9,504 cigarettes not smoked

Money saved $4,758.00

I can barely believe I have made it this far.

I have never managed so long without a cigarette since I started smoking at 14.  My mum quit at the same time as me as she’s also still smoke free. I have such a sense of accomplishment it is hard to put into words.

What really shocks me is how much time at work I wasted outside smoking. I seem to be able to get so much more done now and in less time.

…one year smoke free here I come