Dear Diary

So, an update on some of the actual details of my life, for those lingering readers who have withstood crap erratic entries these last few months... (or to the echoes as I talk to myself, either way).

This in no particular order.

Nighties. I am wearing the really quite ridiculous satin candy-coloured shortie nighties that my Grandma gave me for Christmas last year. I kind of like them. Yah to Summer. Yah to my mum for mending the one that fell apart in the wash and got all straggly.

Cat. My elderly black cat is becoming more skinny and old looking by the day. I debate interanally about taking him to the vet, but he hates going so much (yowls, gets wigged out) and tho' old and skinny lookinga nd kind of blind-ish, doesn't seem to be in any pain, still eats two meals a day. I figure I'd like to die a natural death in peace so I should let him do the same. Am I just being a wimp - should I take him to the vet and see if he has something wrong with him (other than old age?). He really is very old - edging up around the 16 year mark (I don't know when he was born, inherited him as a grown up).

Family. Friends. My little brother is just about my favourite person in the whole world. I think he's cheeky and fun and silly and serious and naughty and lovely and everything. I wish he was closer by and not in another City in another state, so I could drop by for a cuppa after work and play trains. Ditto for mum, mermaidgrrrl and little mister who I visited in Brisvegas. Ditto for friends and family in Hometown, and those flung far these days in Your-ip and Aja.

Socialising and Summer. Festival time! Friends here from other places! I want to be everywhere all at once: watching shows, at the pub telling yarns, at exhibitions, at home with a good cup of tea.

Work. Oh my goodness gracious me - 5 days a week? 7 whole hours a day? Who on earth thought this was a good idea? How on earth did I do this last year and not fall asleep every afternoon between one list ticking meeting and another? [erm, did someone finish her holidays too soon?] How on earth do I cope working with all these dew faced Star Ship Trooper looking keen beans with CV's that parents dream of and cute ironic interests and earnest busy quirky social lives. Sometimes I feel so old, jaded, hermetic (hmm, is that the word - sounds like vacuum sealed), cranky and badly dressed in comparison. Am I the only one there who doesn't regularly go camping on weekends, dress in crisp white shirts or funky handmade only, have a boyfriend who is in a band and is an artist/scientist/clean energy guru and volunteer lifesaver to boot? The only one neither renovating, expecting their first child or in the throes of exciting first love? I feel like the less popular bits of the Venn Diagram - "no really that's fine, you can take 'antisocial, single, book worm, overweight, family angst, into zines' that spot's not taken". "And what's that, you want 'unconventional, divergent thinking without regard for authority but both impatient and kind of lacking confidence to express it in work situations'. ooh yeah, that one is strangely available as well - you're in luck!"

Gardens. Hey hey hey - ours is thriving! Say hello to our crop of Summer mangoes, growing on the tree in our backyard. Welcome newcomer Mr Potato, fresh from the compost and now living in a single bedroom black plastic pot in a good location. Ms Sweet Potato is shooting tendrils everywhere, and the native-violet blended family are rennovating out sideways, taking over the block. It's green and constantly changing out there, and I love it. And have become rather fond of sweeping all the bark and putting it into the compost. Those giant outdoor brooms are very satisfying in a paved courtyard garden, take it from me.

Food. Ferrero Rocher is not a food group. Just so you know. Even if you do leave your family Christmas with enough hazelnuts and chocolate in a delightful gift size plastic container to last for months. They especially are not breakfast. Do not eat them for breakfast. Ooh, too late. Also: dips are not a food group. Freezer food is not a food group. Tonic water is not a food group. I share this with you in the interests of building our collective wisdom. Take notes if you have to. Please oh please can my organic vegie delivery company come back from holidays and begin droping corn cobs and friends on my doorstep before I pass out from iron deficiency and/or fall into a hypoglycemic coma. (Yes it really is like raw 'meals on wheels' for the affuent time-poor greenie).

Schedule. Repeat after me "Oh, I'm sorry, I can't help with that - I don't work Thursdays." Smile big like I am. Repeat again. Not 100% official yet (actually, not really even 1% official yet) but I will be taking a rostered day off this week and net until the form comes back signed as stamped and it becomes official.

Books. Holiday schlock reading a go go. Check out Booklub these next few weeks, as I plan to review a book a week. Sure they might all be fairly trashy crime fiction in the next few weeks, as befits holiday reading, but oh well.

Sleeping. Love it! Off to do that now.