Slight change of plan - 10 hours later - I'm back

Hello blog readers. I hope you had a nice Christmas should you celebrate it. If not I hope you got an awesome bargain at the boxing day sales should you have had access to a major shopping center! (Though on-line store were offering boxing day sales!)

I'm BACK!!!!!! (Did you miss me?) Yes 10 hours later I'm back at my parents place. Long story short.... My mum's not been feeling well the past few days so we made the decision to pack up early and head back from the back of beyond. We did manage however to leave some much needed rain out at my brothers. As our family has a curse of every time we go on holiday (Any one of us me - my brother- my parents) it rains! However my brother living in a very dusty far west QLD needed the rain, so I didn't mind. I still went swimming in the rain with almost four year old nephew which was RAD!!

Anyway.. I'll be staying on at my mum's for a few days while she gets over this virus thing she has that is making her quite unwell. She slept most of the trip home and is now tucked up in bed. It's a 'need looking after' type of nasty. So I'll take one for the team, as I know she'd come to my place and hold the spew bowl for me if I needed her too!

Anyway. I'm off to find something that resembles food. Though I'm thinking the one pizza store in this town will be getting a visit from me in about 20 mins.

Hope everyone is having a safe yet awesome holiday. Hello to my new followers. I hope you enjoy the ride.

That's all I've got.

December is HERE

I wrote a blog to put up here, it was long and thoughtful and really kinda heartfelt. But somewhere along the way to uploading it - it was sucked off into the void and is no longer, that 'copy and paste' function just went 'fuck you' at me.

I'm here now writing this live in I.E *shudder* simply because it's the ONLY browser that will let me into the blogger site.

I'll give you the digest version of the lovely blog I wrote and was eaten.

Today I:
Went to my mum's to collect a parcel I had sent to her place as it was over $50 Long story but stuff went 'missing' from my mailbox in the past, so anything important I get sent to my mum's address. Thus the reason why I was wondering where the hell my parcel was that hadn't turned up to my place, and then I remembered I'd sent it to the 'safe house!'

Whilst at my mum's she got me to set up this video capture dongle thing she'd bought as part of her new PC package that will allow her to transfer her old Video tapes to the PC which can then be edited and burnt to DVD (Read 'This is something Sal will do over her holidays for her mum cause she asked her nicely!) My mum isn't super computer savvy she can turn it on, check her e-mail and play cards. But that's about it. But she's prepared to have a crack which is important.

Anyway while at her place today I seen old video from when I was young, some of which I can't remember the event even taking place (That's another long story) But it is a little strange to watch video of your loved ones who are now dead. My Grandfather, my Nan and most recently my Uncle and my Pop. I can't explain it, but it was a real bitter sweet feeling, like I got a chance to be close to them again, but knew it wasn't real. (Does that make sense?)

Subject change:

I've got more notes made for my story, and I plan to write over the weekend. I've had a few 'members of the family who I can't remove!!!' ask me 'are you finished yet? Aren't you going to finish it? I answer No I'm not finished yet - Yes I am going to finish it. Which is followed by 'When can we read it?' and my response is... When it's available for you to buy! Fuck them I don't like them enough to give away free copies of my work to them - I fucking despise half the people I'm unfortunate enough to be related to. I'm happy to share my work with people I've never meet in real life. But I'll make the blood ties pay!!!

So the above post is a digest of the 'heartfelt' one I did write out, but lost. Basically I went into a little more insight into how I felt watching the old home video's and seeing those whom I've lost - smile again.

In totally different news - I bought a PS3 (Yup the air-con idea got ditched!) and I'm currently d/loading free game demo's on it. PLUS I am super impressed with Left 4dead 2 which was the package that went to my mum's place. I came home this afternoon and loaded it and have played up to the 3rd level so far, and I'm LOVING it - like more than Wolfenstien!! Which is saying a lot.

Alright. I hope this post doesn’t get eaten as well.

That's all I've got.

Day TwentySix - Family

Today was a solid day of family stuff (Plus the dentist!!) My cousin and I made our way to my mum's place which we timed well as my Aunt hadn't arrived at that stage, so we could 'literally' hide her son as the super surprise.

She finally arrived, he nicked around from the back to the front and rang the doorbell, in which I answered and told her there was a delivery for her out the front the 'lady' needed her to sign for it, as it was for her. So thinking nothing of it, she went out the front to be greeted by her son. As expected it was a lovely moment, as she thought he was still interstate.

Long day cut short.
Family stuff for morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

I went to my dentist appointment at 3pm. I told the dentist that while he's lovely. The smell of his office is very off putting, that combined with the sound of the whizzing drill from the patient before me sent my blood cold. Thankfully my teeth are all good, and no fillings were required, it was just a general check up.

Back to my mum's for dinner more 'family' conversing, and then I went home. I had planned to get into Nano this evening, but I'm a little stuffed after the long day Which I also managed to fit a haircut into! - Talk about multi-tasking!

So with my current word count sitting officially on the Nano site of 45,426 I'll head off and watch David Tennant on the Graham Norton show and goto bed.

I'll tackle Nano tomorrow and expand the notes I made during today. I've decided on a happy / bitter sweet ending...

(Scoman I'm sorry to tell you.... Heath won't make it throught Ninja school!!!)

That's all I've got.

Google search thingo

My cousin brought this to my attention. I was then the one who broke her heart and told her it's been around for a while. She told me to shut up and just do it :P So I did. Here are my answers.

Needs: Sal needs to pimp this site.

Looks Like: Sal look like a dumb-ass once again.

Says: Sal says but I must say that I am not as impressed with Entourage as I used to be.

Wants: Sal wants reply in 3 days (and I mean it!)

Does: Sal does not deal with the question.

Hates: Sal hates the new facebook (So true!)

Asks: Sal asks if she will do a good job.

Likes: Sal likes to barbecue, and write for pleasure.

Eats: Sal eats steak.

Wears: Sal wears jersey vest by Karen Walker (is it bad that I have no clue who Karen Walker is?)

Was arrested for: Sal was arrested for Grand Larceny in the 4th Degree by Extortion.

Loves: Sal loves you very much.

So there is my google yourself list. Whilst its been around for a while. I'll admit it is still quite amusing.

That's all I've got

Twilight, Harry Potter and Christmas

Oooo I'm right into this book. I'm upto the part of Cullen taking Bel to meet the parents. It's got a hold of me and I'm flicking to the next page and then the next and the next. I've not read a book like this which captivated me in a long time. Not since the Catcher in the Rye way way back..... (Though Inga Clendinnen's memoir Tigers Eye was captivating, but more so in the non-fiction genre!) Anyway... it gives me faith that everyone, anyone can write a book.... If they can nail the genre....

I was talking to my sister in law who's a Mcmassive Harry Potter fan - she'd also not heard of Stephanie Meyer's work (Yes we live in a cave!) however she told me of the story about how J.K Rowlings wrote Harry Potter in a Cafe' (Insert groans here)

I struggle at times to write, and it's something I need to work on, however my best ideas do seem to pop into my head at 2am - and most of the sci-fi stuff I've written have in fact been my dreams!

Anyway.. I'm roughly 287 pages in and I'm thinking if I have it finished by the weekend (With all the family bullshit about to fall out of the sky!) then I'll try and get to the cinema next week to see the movie - though reviews so far of it have kinda fallen short.

I was annoyed when I read Hannibal, and then went to the cinema with my best mate Peter (who had a weak stomach, and we had to pack a vom bag for him) to find they had changed the ending.. I bloody hate that! In fact I've not read a book that's become a 'movie' since that event. (In other words I've not read any Harry Potter!)

Does the book do the movie justice? Or does the movie do the book justice? As a writing major I'd have to say that done well the Movie does the book justice!

If I don't get a chance before hand, those who celebrate Christmas. Merry Christmas I hope you enjoy it - others who don't have a nice holiday, and hopefully a nice time catching up with friends and family.

That's all I've got

I remember - 20 mins of writing

I remember – 20mins of writing

So I actually ‘wrote’ this put pen to paper – which is why it’s significantly shorter than it would be had I typed for 20mins – at the end of it my hand ached! Though I should write (pen and paper) more it slows me down and allows me to think a little clearer – though my hand hasn’t got a spell checker – I’ll have to ask for that in the next model!

Alright – here it is – the pen to paper now put into electronic format

*************

As I sit here and try to write I remember my mind goes blank. Is that normal? Over thinking, trying too hard to recall.

I’ve been to Canberra three times. I only remember once. It’s a strange feeling to be told you have been to a place in your past but have no recollection of it at all. Even worse when photographs containing you are shown in front of famous landmarks of Canberra and still no memory of the event.

My mind works like a little movie sliced into segments when I think of events from my past. Holidays at Evans Head, Riding my brothers BMX on the beach, paddling up the river in the canoe.

My childhood is a happy one from memory leaving in the mornings at the weekends to do whatever I wanted from riding my skateboard in the school grounds to going down the river and exploring, long before the days of ‘unsafe to do anything alone’ I don’t ever remember feeling unsafe as a child we were always taught not to talk to strangers and I remember once a man tried to lure my friend and I into his car with lollies telling us he was a friend of my mums. I remember running as fast as I could to my Nanna’s house and telling her what happened by the time she got out the front the car was driving off around the corner. Did I potentially cheat death or sexual assault of some kind that day?

I remember walking to school with my brother, not knowing how to tie my shoe laces and so just wound them up around my legs like ballet shoes tucking the ends into my socks. They fell down onto the wet grass and my brother chastised me for being stupid and then tied my shoes for me, showing me what to do ‘for next time’

Christmas was always exciting as a child, the ritual of Christmas eve and the ‘must go to church’ I hated church, all the standing up and sitting down, the Shhh and not allowed to talk – not even whisper! Being dragged to ‘confession’ a few days prior so we could absolve our sins and be allowed to go to communion. My cousins and I would compete to see who got the most ‘Our Fathers’ and ‘Hail Mary’s’ by making stuff up in the confessional. The more lies told in there the more ‘pennant’s we’d have to pay!

Waking up Christmas morning to see what ‘Santa’ had brought being excited to un-wrap gifts from under the tree, spending time with extended family, and more gift unwrapping. Playing for hours with my cousins in the back yard of my grandparents, before coming home to play with the toy’s that where too big to leave the house like the year we got a trampoline.

I remember we never had Christmas lunch at my parent’s house – we always alternated between my mum’s parents and my dad’s parents. In 1999 when I was living in Brisbane I decided that, that year would be different – My brother and I would have Christmas at mum and dad’s – so we invited all the extended family to my parents house – my mum’s side of the family, and my dad’s side – all converged on River street. I’m glad that it all came together as that was the last Christmas we had with my grandfather on my dad’s side- he died on the 31st of January 2000.

Photo’s are a key to your past to memories and moment of the here and now that once taken instantly become the there and then.

I remember a happy childhood filled with Christmas, and family gatherings, even if it meant having to go to church, and lying in competition to see who got handed the largest amount of pennants. Memories flood into my mind – but there again I’ve been to Canberra three times and only remember visiting once as an adult in 2006 – so my memory is clearly not very reliable.

Turning a section into a paragraph

This exercise sees me take a ‘slice’ of the above ‘I Remember’ and put more detail into it as a paragraph.

I remember the light shining though the stain glass window, throwing light onto the rich thick carpet like shadow puppets dancing outside.
The hard cold seat of the pew, various thoughts running through my mind as I waited my turn. Click the light went out and my cousin would step from behind the thick tapestry curtain.
I’d whisper ‘What did you get?’
He’d answer “Three Our Fathers, and Four Hail Marys’'
I’d step into the closet like booth that smelt like mothballs, and hear the click of the light go on outside allowing others to know the confessional was in use.
Then out would come the line ‘Forgive me father for I have sinned. It has been 12 moths since my last confession” followed by my mountain of lies in hope that I could out do my cousin for the amount of pennants I’d have to do.