i am grateful

Australia does not celebrate Thanksgiving. Which makes me sad. Up until about 20 minutes ago it was only because I love turkey and think any time of the year where you get to year as much turkey as you want should be celebrated. However, tonight my friends and I had a bbq to say Merry Chremoo to each other and now as I lay in bed with a food baby I am thinking about how lucky I am. I am taking this opportunity to reflect on the things I am grateful for in my life and in 2009.

i am grateful for...



my beautiful kind girlfriends - they all make me laugh, smile and feel beautiful. Some old, some new, some closer than others but they are all dear to my heart.

i am grateful for...





the closest thing I will get to a brother - We have been through ups and downs but he is always my protector and still my best friend.

i am grateful for...my health.
As someone who works for a disability service, interned at the National Breast Cancer Foundation and has a sister who is a nurse I have witnessed and heard my fair share of stories. This year had a close call which to this day makes me shudder. I am so grateful to be healthy.

i am grateful for....



my education - this year I finally graduated uni.
NB: excuses for the very shabby appearance of my robe and hat, both were too big and were slipping off all day.

i am grateful for...


my family - photo is missing due to the rareity of a photo containing all of us.

i am grateful for...



the little things - rather generic I know, but the days at the beach with best friends, singing in my car, waking up on a summer morning and having his arms wrapped around me make me grateful to be in this world.

i am grateful for...


my boyfriend - I am glad that no matter how much he doesn't want to speak to anyone he will always take the time and effort to say the three little words that matter most.

tremble little lion man.

playlist so as to not think about impending new job tomorrow:
(there is no need for a nervy b)

• The Beatles - I just saw a face
• Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
• Jaime T - Chucka Demus
• Moneen - Accidents (cover of Alexisonfire originial)
• Alexisonfire - Young Cardinals
• City and Colour - Hello, I'm in Delaware
• Otis Redding - Try a little tenderness
• Paramore - Hallelujah
• She & Him - Sweet Chariot
• The Beatles - When I'm 64
• The Smashing Pumpkins - Tonight, Tonight
• Vampire Weekend - Oxford Comma
• Glasvegas - Daddy's Gone
• Philedelphia Grand Jury - Going to the Casino
• Dropkick Murphy's - Shipping out to Boston
• Goldfinger - 99 Red Balloons

It is growing rapidly, but these are just some of my obsessions at the moment. I must admit I am not big on buying albums (as in hard copies) mainly because I am lazy but am keen to get Paramore's newbie, Glasvegas, Vampire Weekend, The Philly Jays, and my newest and most current obsession, Mumford and Sons. I really need to make a visit to JB!


On another side, completley unrelated note, manfriend and I went op shopping this weekend and I have started my Classic collection (goal to read classics instead of chick lit) with Wuthering Heights and Oliver Twist. Also picked up Memoirs of a Geisha. I am attempting to broaden my mind :)

final day as a slave to the customer service man

Today was my last day working in retail for what I hope to be forever, if not, a very long time.

the things I will not miss about retail/customer service:

• being ignored when you greet/try to help someone
• being called "good girl" when I put something in a bag. i am not a dog, and if you are going to treat me like one at least give me a treat.
• even better, you could try treating me like a human being
  
• the phrase "cheque, savings or credit"
• tiny, overflowing stock rooms
• ill fitting uniforms
• over demanding customers, my work ethic is not 'the customer is always right' mostly it is 'the customer is always stupid, rude or annoying'
• people loitering around the door waiting for you to open the doors, and then trampling you when you do, it will still be there when you get it, especially since you are the only one out here.
• two words: 'seniors discount'
• retail shopping blindess - I once heard a customer ask, while standing in front of the register. "yeah, but where do i pay?"
• fat, scooter riding women, who honk at you so that they don't even have to 'scoot' (not walk) into the store.
  

on a brighter note, things I will miss:

• the amazing staff who I now just call my friends
• singing and dancing to the AMAZING centre music (Tina Arena is huge in France)
  
• the free access to chocolate, wrapping paper and ribbon
• merchandising windows
  
• the old ladies who just make me laugh instead of wanting to strangle them
• the old men who just make me laugh instead of wanting to strangle them

second post in one night

just too happy at the moment.


did i forget to mention I love my boyfriend.

by far my favourite photo of the year.

he is my happiness.

all i do is party

disclaimer: above title is a lie.

past few months have been insanely busy: final semester of uni, internship, looking for a jobs and working. plus, social activities.
My Dad likes to tell everyone that walks into my house on a Thursday, Friday or Saturday night that I am just going driving through the streets till I find balloons and then crash the party.
Obviously, he is a hilarious man.

Excerpts from sporadic party moments of late:

Going away party for my bestie. she came back 6 months later.

Bestie's Pirate 21st
Parrot, Peter Pan and Pirate.


school kid party. i am a good catholic school girl.

OktoberFest Brisbane Style
NB: this photo also displays my friends maturity levels.
my boss ladies going away partay

and my absolute favourites so far




one of matt's random get togethers
absolutely love that kid
- why do all my friends move away -


my cousin's wedding
kudos to my sister for her photography

my boys at my event

half the group but still a great photo
kudos to the photographer who donated his time to the NBCF; Mark Lobo

There were several thousand photos to choose from and ones that never saw the light of day, all I can say is the busyness has been crazy but so much fun.


Something that has also been apart of my busy year which has failed to produce any photos is thursday night girls night. I have two absolute, without fail, love them no matter what best friends.


Every Thursday night we cook each other dinner at alternating households, and then go out for gelati at our favorite spot "Milany". Racecourse Road Ascot, if you haven't been go now. Call me and we shall go together. Tomorrow night, it's my turn to cook. I fail at all cooking, except one dish, 'Chicken and Chorizo Paella' from Donna Hay's Chicken cook book. So simple even I can cook it.

i know it's early but...

I love Christmas.

Even working in a chocolate store at X-mas cannot deter me from the love I hold for it so dear in my heart.

I know it's early but yesterday at work I could smell it!!!

And then tonight, while hanging out the washing manfriend said he could smell xmas beetles in the air.

Things Erin <3's about X-Mas:
(in not particular order)

• Going swimming all day long
• Coleslaw, my Nanna's pasta salad and potato salad
• Christmas Carols in every store
• BING CROSBY
• House lights
• Those giant plastic candy canes
• Those giant REAL candy canes
• Buying presents
• WRAPPING PRESENTS!
• UNWRAPPING PRESENTS!
• Fruit mince pies. Going into to coles, just to buy fruit mince pies. Harassing my Nanna for fruit mince pies. Smelling fruit mince pies because you physically cannot eat any more but are not eat satisfied.
  
• The way the mornings feel when you wake up (only people who experience Xmas in the Summer)
  
• Decorating the tree (note: I love this so much I made my family decorate the tree the morning I went to Europe for 2 months as I would not be home to do it)
• Getting to see everyone you know and love. and mostly seeing them drunk (Stolen: The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl by Belle Du Jour)
• The fake snow
• Our annual coast trip
• Carols on TV
• Watching the Carols on Xmas eve while eating fruit mince pies with mum, dad and man friend
• (This one is a newbie) Drinking with my family on Xmas Day
• My mum's Santa candy cane holder

I think this list could go on forever.

old angers

Found this written in the margin of a uni book from last year:

happiness
bitches and such, who think they're cool.
but not the bubblegum cheerleader american teen movie kinda cool
The people who think their cool because they're not.

you're not better than me because you know too many useless facts about a band no one has heard of.
their first album was NOT better
your haircut is not cool because its shorter on one side and you have a fringe.
you're clothes don't make you smarter than me
those badges do not give you street cred.

ps. those glasses you're wearing don't make you look intelligent,
just like a douche




lol

<3

a very happy day.
i love brisbane weather at the moment.
nothing better than lying on the grass in the sun with your manfriend, while he torments his cat with a piece of grass.
mucho loveo.

aimless. forced to wander the world with NO AIMS!

I am insanely unfocused today.

I found myself blanking out regularly and phasing back in and realizing everyone had moved on from what i thought was happening. This is especially unuseful when you are doing team building exercises......and driving.
True story, completely blanked out driving to the gym. Also blanked out ten minutes of running on a treadmill which turned out to be a major plus but still rather frightening (what if i fell off!) (true story, like one of my biggest fears, falling off a treadmill).

Am now having trouble writing a final aim for my workplace learning. Which is a rather exciting and frightening placement. Working on the Media and Promotions for the Brisbane 'Global Illumination' Campaign. I will mainly be working on the Charity Gala Ball taking place on the 31st of October but this falls under Brisbane's overall campaign.

However, I cannot think of a fourth and final aim of my placement. I am aimless. AIMLESS! I will be forced to wander through life NOT having a fourth AIM!
I may as well die now as without a fourth aim I will never progress in life.



On a completely unrelated note, went to a hen's party on Saturday night. Hilarious evening. Greatest video of the stripper however it noticeably has my horrendous laugh (which coincidentally i didn't realize was horrible till i played back the movie) playing throughout the background as i was obviously amused. However, this truly wasn't the most hilarious moment of the night, nay my LIFE!
That priceless gem would go to my sister, who was the hostess of the soiree and got slightly, how do you say...blotto.
After recieving a phone call from the stripper to say his arrival would be imminent she ran through the apartment screaming "THE STRIPPER IS COMING! THE STRIPPER IS COMING!".




then she ran into a glass door.


with her face.

its moments like these you need a video camera.

first date mania

Catching up with old friends is often like going on first dates.

Side note: I am not very knowledgable about first dates. My last first date was 4 years ago and was at an underage party where my date [also the host] drank copious amounts of tequilla, threw up and then fell in said throw up.

There is always that awkward moment where someone has to decide where you should go and what you should do. You haven't hung out in so long you don't want to take them to your favourite place because they might not like it. What if they have become vegetarians and never told you and you take them to a steak house. Friendship first date DISASTER!

Then there is those silent moments that you never seem to have with friends you see all the time. So you fill them with verbal diarrhea that probably shouldn't be shared with people you haven't had a real life conversation with for 3 months.

Of course, if its going badly, you will drink. Don't try to deny it. It will happen.

Side note: not known from personal experience. with my friends, we just drink anyway.

And finally, like all first dates there is that awkward goodbye where you just quite don't know how to act. Do you give them a hug? Should you promise to call? You're always trying to gauge whether they actually had a good time or are they just saying that. Will they call? I hope I didn't hog the conversation. I wonder if they think I'm a pig for ordering desert. It's rather stressful.


No wonder people only say they should catch up. We'd all be having panic attacks if we ACTUALLY had to catch up.


further side note: wondering if friends think i'm a pig for ordering desert is also unknown. all my friends order desert. we never say no.

no nun chuck skills

I hate writing resumes.
Tempted to write that I have no nun chuck skills so there really isn't much of a point in the hiring of me.
Seriously though, the job hunt thing makes me depressed. And I have a job. No one wants to hire a fresh graduate (even though I am technically not one). Everyone wants someone with at least 2-3 years experience. Too bad I have been in class for the past 2-3 years, perhaps I should of been getting some experience. Too bad the media and comm field is constantly changing and evolving (twittered your complaints to starbucks anyone? they will reply!) and those 2-3 years of experience may be deemed void. I know how to write a freaking press release! Whether I print it, fax it, email it, facebook it. I went to uni, I know how to do it.

Man friend is also having trouble finding a job (he also has one as well, but this isn't the point). He is getting interested in doing a trade. But for all the ads that are on TV telling people to do a trade instead of going to uni, he is getting brushed off by practically everyone. All because he is over 21. He said to me today, ' back in highschool, I never even considered a trade, it was always uni - business or something equally as boring'. Obviously that didn't work out as planned. But because it took him till the age of 21 (not old by any ones definition) he is unable to secure work.

Looks like its a big fuck you to the nations economy.

kindness of strangers

i hate it when people say they have no regrets.
i regret everything. EVERYTHING.
i especially regret drinking so much on Saturday night. drinking so much i cried on one of my friends shoulders about all my problems in life. FAIL!
and, pretty sure I'm never gonna not regret that. like I'm pretty sure I'm not going to not regret drinking 12.5% alcohol beers in Italy and not remembering how my collarbone came to be broken (running story is i fell off a bus).
I'm not going to not regret making multiple drunk phone calls at 5am asking people who had spent their night in bed like good little children if they had seen my phone at all.

On that note, I happened to lose my phone in my drunken haze on saturday night (yes, i cried about it). BUT the guys who found it came and met up with me today and gave it back to me! He laughed when I gave him a scratchie to thank him. Perhaps because my phone is such a shit piece of brick he didn't understand why i was so thankful.

Erin is happiness right now :)

all you can eat buffet

best friend's fiance essentially kicked her out. after she moved 8 hours north of Brisbane to be with him. best friend has suspicions that fiance was starting something with their room mate.

plus side. best friend is back within a 5 minute vicinity meaning i can have play dates again.
downside. oh you know, self consuming miserableness.

anyway, man friend rolled over whilst in the midst of ranting about having a food baby (srsly, guys are such whingers) and took my face in his hands, looked me in the eye, and said "i will never do what fiance did to best friend".

heart broke and melted at same time.

not so perfect man friend at that all encompassing moment became my perfect man friend.
all my frustrations and anger at his illness vanished and i knew he was the one i was meant to be with. for better or for worse.

then he rolled back over and continued to moan asking me 'how could you let me eat so much?' then with a resigned sigh declared 'he had no regrets, all you can eat buffet - best idea ever.'

: |

no, i don't want ringtones
x'ray scanner? WHAT?
crazy frog can suck my balls.


mtv inspired haiku.

JUST PLAY SOME FUCKIN MUSIC ALREADY!

FAIL!

Failure as a blogger.
Just found a friend on blogger, shouldn't have been surprised. He lives in a nerd hole.
Then I realised I fail at being a blogger as 1. I'm much too lazy to remember to write things down. 2. I get way to excited/caught up in any moment worth blogging about and 3. I forgot that the point of it was that other people would see it but I really have no desire to put it out there.

Moving along from my failures as a bloggeranian.

Cocktail party this weekend for my work girls, to celebrate the fact we won Retailer of the Month 2 months ago (obviously we fail at planning).
Only thing that is bothering me is one girl who is attached to her boyfriend like....like... something that is attached strongly and rarely separates (TAKE THAT SIMILES). The POINT is that its a girls cocktail night of sing star, way too strong cocktails and then dancing on a stripper pole at UJS (no, that has never happened before *shifty eyes*). That is not a night that is appropraite for boys to be present at. FOR EXAMPLE, pretty sure manfriend (him and i do not suffer from aforementioned affliction) would rather shoot himself in the foot than take part in the night we have planned. So why does Clingy McCling want to bring her bf to the partay? That is just way uncool. Not only will he probably rather be playing James Bond on Wii, but that would just make us uber uncomfortable. They live together, they have lunch together every day; shouldn't they have run out of things to say to each other? Or do I just have the wrong idea of what having a boyfriend entails.

Damn, another thing i fail at.

tweet tweet

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/16/world/middleeast/16media.html

Reading the above link reminded me that I am a student of New Media. Not only that, I am a teenager of Generation Y. Which means essentially, I have been neglecting my duties as both a student of social media but also as a product of it.

The link also raised an important question of the power of social networking.
I can't deal with Twitter, it drives me nutty. While I am all about the facebook status updates (in fact, I now have facebook on my phone for JUST THAT) but the idea of having a whole entire site dedicated to updating 'what i am doing right now' just doesn't sit right with me. I guess it's because I don't have anything like protests in Iran to organise/participate in.

But as the article points out, social networking sites such as Twitter are becoming an increasingly powerful tool in politics.

'As the embattled government of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad appears to be trying to limit Internet access and communications in Iran, new kinds of social media are challenging those traditional levers of state media control and allowing Iranians to find novel ways around the restrictions.'

Supporters of the opposition Hussein Moussavi are building support on Twitter and manipulating the site effectively to build support and gain awareness throughout the world. By flooding the system with the same tag tweeters ensure the IranElection is the first thing people see when they log onto twitter.

Smart Iranians.

Just shows how all who bitch and moan (author of this blog included) about Twitter and similar social networking tools and sites are underestimating the power of these sites and not just in advertising that 'wicked cool clip of robert pattinson' but as a site of propaganda and influential material.