May was a write-off
June is turning out to be much the same

Maybe it's time to call it a day? It's not like anyone reads this except me. Sometimes.

Anyway. Mulling it over.

I thought since my boss was away sick and I had friends arriving from interstate at 4.30pm I might actually be able to get away from work a little early. Or on time.

Wrong on both counts. Just as well I left the keys out for them.

Another day of Mental Health first aid training... barely held it together in some of this morning's session... hit a little too close to home.

Working full-time is all well and good but not when you have a 40 min commute each way and you have to study....

Box office stats. Now there's something I never thought I'd have to look at ever again.

#Downsideofscreenstudiesmajor

First assignment of the trimester submitted - three days after the original due date, but four days prior to the revised one.

Now. Onto the next one.

Look, it's about as good as it's going to get and quite frankly, I'd rather go and finish my new book.

Well, I've done an outline of the assignment. Can I smash it out before 10pm so I can submit it and move on to the next one tomorrow?

Do I write my essay, THEN start on this book which arrived in the mail today, or do I just read the book?*

* Who am I kidding? I think we all know the answer is B.

Thank god I just discovered that our lecturer has given us a full week's extension on our essay because after a day spent in Mental Health First Aid training, I am in no fit state to do anything except drink a glass of wine and go to bed early.

All I really want to do is curl up in bed and go to sleep but I have an essay due on Friday morning and it's not going to write its damn self now, is it?

Thank god it's payday tomorrow. Have been juggling $$ between accounts for days now.

My acupuncturist is an angel. ANGEL. 

Let’s hope I actually get a decent night’s sleep tonight! 

6.27pm. Have I studied today?

Have I bollocks.

All the face palms.

First relatively normal day I've spent with LB in over three years. THREE. YEARS.

Thank you diazepam and pristiq.

🙌🏼

Out the door. On time. Got through a bunch of stuff. Feeling slightly less manic about work.

It's just studying that's stressing me out now.

Well yesterday's grand plan all went to shit pretty fast... I didn't leave work until 7pm.

Sigh.

Trying to be good about leaving on time - at the end of the day I'm not getting overtime and I'm theoretically out of a job come July, so I refuse to stress out over this job any more.

Back to work tomorrow. Could do with a lottery win so I never have to work again!

Three movies in one night. Amazing what you smash out when you've got to do it for uni.

I don't suppose that when my dad and a guy named Arthur started chatting about tennis on a bus ride from Croydon to the city circa 1951, they ever thought that nearly 70 years later their kids would still be hanging out playing tennis and trading in-jokes. I love my Clayton's cousins.

Brutha and I were big ol' nerds this afternoon and went to play with the Avengers.

His girlfriend wisely took up residence at a nearby bar with one of her old mates and spent the afternoon drinking.

As a non-religious person, I like to spend my Good Friday cleaning, doing laundry, studying and doing some reading for fun.

Working until 7pm every night this week is not my idea of fun but at least there's a 5 day weekend ahead.

Also, people were legit fighting over Easter eggs in the supermarket tonight like the rapture was upon us.

People are idiots, to paraphrase Hermione Granger.

So it turns out I'm no better at doing this in the morning than I am doing it in the evening.

Oh well. If it becomes sporadic it becomes sporadic. I've worked 8am - 7pm every day this week and I have very few fucks left to give.

Ava DuVernay, you made magic.

A Wrinkle in Time was so much more than my 10 year old self dreamed it would be. The reviews may not be great, but I don't care. I loved it. And that Hamilton reference was lit.

New technique: day one.

If I do this in the morning, then I can't really write accurately about the day because it hasn't happened yet, so I guess I'll have to write about yesterday? Trouble is, I have trouble remembering if I've brushed my teeth, let alone having an accurate recall of yesterday's events, so....

Anyway.

Yesterday I cleaned out my wardrobe and sorted stuff out for the hard rubbish collection.

I LOVE HARD RUBBISH COLLECTIONS. I love chucking shit out. I'm like the anti-hoarder.

Yeah, so I'm turning out to be pretty shit at keeping up with this. Working 40 hours a week, studying 20 hours a week, dealing with LB, trying (and failing) to have a social life... sometimes even the smallest of things have to give. Maybe I'll start incorporating this into my morning writing routine... that might be a better way of keeping up with it. Let's see what happens.

Actually left work at 6pm. Still have a crapload of work to do over the next week, but sometimes, you've just got to say 'enough'.

It's not even the end of March and already I've had strep and a cold. This is ridiculous.

Who knew that rubbing essential oils on the bottom of your feet would help you sleep better? Had the best night's sleep I've had in months last night.

Therapy dogs and essential oils is how I got myself through a stressful day - how 'bout you?

Nothing like a last minute change of plans requiring a quick dash home after work to pack a bag and drive to Ballarat so you can be up at 6am in the morning to take your mother for cataract surgery... thank god for my lovely cousin and her spare room.

Sometimes I wish I could escape into a bubble where no one could bug me and I could ACTUALLY GET SOME FUCKING WORK DONE.

(I think I need to have an early night. I'm still poorly.)

I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.
I am not getting sick again.*


* Except I think I might be.

Literally just walked in the door from work.

Ouch.

So it seems that between 22 Feb and today I've been somewhat slack here. I'm not even going to attempt to make up for it and do a backlog - I'm just going to start fresh tomorrow with the new blog app for my iPhone that I've just discovered.

After 6 and a bit years of writing EVERY. DAMN. DAY I think I can cut myself a bit of slack here.

You'd think by today I'd be getting better. If anything I'm feeling worse.

Back to the doctor I go tomorrow...

Day 3 off work.

Being sick sucks. No energy to read, no energy to watch TV. What a waste.

STREP THROAT?

I HAVE STREP??

I haven't had strep since I was a kid.

FFS.

On the plus side, no more editing.
On the down side, all I want to do is sleep. What a waste of enforced time off work.

Still sick.

Still editing.

God bless USA Foods for stocking Iced Tea Mix and Eggo Waffles. Only thing I can stomach.

Editing someone's thesis whilst sick. Fun fun fun. Not.

When you're sick and you just want to go to sleep but there's a rogue mouse in your house who appears to be having a party behind the stove which is keeping you awake and you can't find the little bugger anywhere plus you don't have traps.

Sigh.

The grade for my exam earlier this week left my overall grade teetering at the exact midpoint between a Credit (74) and a Distinction (75). My entire academic transcript is Distinctions and High Distinctions - I don't care if "Ps get degrees" - I didn't want a Credit in there ruining the aesthetic!

Hella relieved to get my final grades today see the magic 'D' word.

Taking myself on a Valentine's Day date to see Black Panther like...

#WomenOfWakandaFTW

I am DEFINITELY not in LB's good books right now.

Ugh. Mondays.

29 years ago today I was standing outside a church in Adelaide in 42C heat wearing a drop-waist, puff-sleeved, purple taffeta dress, purple court shoes and a purple decorative comb in my spiral-permed hair which was held in place with an entire can of hairspray.*

I have only been a bridesmaid once in my life because there's only one couple in the world I would ever go through all that torture for.

Happy Anniversary K&J. You are #relationshipgoals x 1,000,000.




* No. I'm not going to post a picture. No pictures of me on that day need to ever exist on the internet.

Equal parts depressing AF and profoundly inspiring.

Samantha Power is #goals.

It's amazing what you can achieve when you've got noise cancelling headphones and it's a quiet day at the office.

I went out for drinks after work. 

To a bar.

With friends. 

It was fun.

MY GOD, I ACTUALLY HAD A NIGHT OUT. 

I'd forgotten what that was like.

Procrastination central here tonight. This 35K thesis isn't going to edit itself...

IPL is only painful if you forget to take the double-strength nurofen/paracetamol combo beforehand and the technician hasn't spread the gel properly.

Ouch. Pass the ice pack - my ankle is fried.*




* Not literally, but it sure as hell feels like it right now.

Not a fan of either team, but I think Tom Brady's a dick, so was v. happy to see the Eagles triumph in the Super Bowl.

And god love P!nk for getting through a dreadful cold to belt out the anthem. Oh and snaps for turning on the purple for Prince, Minneapolis. Shed a little tear at that one.

It may have been set in the early 2000s, but I defy any woman to not relate to at least half a dozen of the lines in Lady Bird.

Lady Bird's Mom: "I want you to be the very best version of yourself that you can be."
Lady Bird: "What if this is the best version?"

Lady Bird: "I was on top! Who the fuck is on top their first time!"

Kyle (to Lady Bird): "You're gonna have so much unspecial sex in your life."



Relate, relate, RELATE.

The dad of one of my oldest friends referred to me as his 'fourth daughter' to everyone he introduced me to today. Love him.

The end of this week could not come quick enough. No study required this weekend... phew.

Although I have agreed to edit a thesis. WHAT. IS. WRONG. WITH. ME??

February already?

Oy. Vey.

Stopping on the way home from work for an hour-long massage was the best idea I've had all week...

Thank. Fuck.

And a whole 92 minutes prior to deadline. That's rare.

Thank god we got an extra day on the exam because of the public holiday. I've finished Part A, but Part B is KILLING ME.

No matter how much I try and plan, it's really not until the last minute that the ideas come to me.

Stupid deadlines and exams. Now I'm going to be up super late for the next few nights...

There's a good reason I order online from USA Foods rather than go into their store like I did today...

Can't. Restrain. Myself.

Eggo waffles, giant tubs of Nestea, blue cheese dressing... none of those were required purchases but somehow they've ended up in my kitchen.

The two litre bottle of hazelnut creamer was an essential, however.

Australia Day.

Otherwise known as the day where (for the last 3 years) I can be found head down, arse up trying to write exam papers because somehow it coincides with the end of the trimester and why did I decide to take up tertiary education again at my age?

Honestly thought that taking my car to be serviced at the Toyota dealership near work would be bloody expensive because they offer a free shuttle to/from work, have snacks and coffee and give your car a wash and vacuum as part of the service.

I was wrong. 

Was a bargain. In fact, I had enough money left over from what I'd budgeted to buy myself a bottle of this to kick off the long weekend of study ahead.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH MY SHOULDER???

Can't. Bloody. Move.

Stupid Body Pump.

Stupid competitive nature that makes me use heavier weights than I'm clearly capable of lifting.

Could definitely use one of these this week. So. Much. To. Do.

Evening study plans totally sidetracked by tasks. Ugh.

Still, I went to Bodypump at lunch and I have a cool new chalkboard planner decal on my kitchen wall, so I'll just give it a go again tomorrow night...

Not the greatest turnout for the Women's March in Melbourne, but I put that down to poor advertising. We were small, but vocal and I dressed appropriately, natch:

The ribbon stretching across the bridge was a great idea though - even better getting people to write their own messages on it:

So I managed to do some of the things on my endless to-do list today, but it's still exhaustingly long...

The list of study things to do this weekend is long and daunting. Also my ear hurts and the new doctor I saw today was not a very nice person. What is it with GPs and terrible interpersonal skills?

Me, today:

My third day straight of group exercise class. WTF is wrong with me?!?! I am going to be DEAD tomorrow.

Wow. Body Combat is HARD. I don't think I'm quite coordinated enough for all that kicking and punching. I nearly knocked myself out. Plus, now I'm knackered.

That pilates class was INTENSE. I've never used hand weights in pilates before. Hope I can lift my arms tomorrow.

Discovered a new favourite massage place this morning. My poor, aching muscles were so happy.

After a ridiculously long day with LB, buying her everything she could possibly think of that she 'needed', the only sensible thing for Sissy and I to do is drink some delicious Sloe Gin and watch Stranger Things.

My sissy is visiting - HURRAH!

I've no freaking idea how, but LB has made it through twelve months of shock treatments, broken arms, hip replacements, stoma surgery, lympodema and blood infections to make it to her 79th birthday.

How????

The woman is a goddamned cat with nine lives and stubborn to boot.

Yes I'm going to bed at 9pm. I did a Body Pump class this afternoon and now this is me:

Did we really just have 10 days off work??? Doesn't feel like it. I feel ready for another break.

So. Craig McLachlan, huh?

COLOUR ME SURPRISED

Sometimes, you just need to take a nap, regardless of how long your to-do list is.

A lovely day at the NGV with some old friends. Definitely need to go back again and see more of Triennial - especially the Candice Brietz installation. That one warrants a good hour or so of my undivided attention.

This week has draaaaaagggggggged. So glad it's Friday. So glad I've got my house back to myself.

NOT glad it's going to be 42C tomorrow. Ugh.

The cats go home tomorrow. HURRAH! Not a cat person, never gonna be a cat person, DOGS RULE THE WORLD.

These cats have got me sussed when it comes to bedtime now. It's like trying to get toddlers to go to bed. Takes FOREVER. Ugh.

Turns out that wireless headphones are the way to go at work when you need to concentrate and not be disturbed by your colleagues. Nothing says "STOP BOTHERING ME" like two great lumps on either side of your head.

January 1 is allowed to be a bit of a write-off day, isn't it? I've finished binge-watching two TV shows this break and I'm over halfway through one book, so that's not too bad.

Haven't done a scrap of studying though. Mega fail.

Oh and I've decided that I am most definitely never, ever getting cats. They are the most annoying creatures on the planet and TERRIBLE at cuddling.