Hitting a wall...

I've hit a wall today... I woke up.. I got out of bed to see off a house guest.. I changed the bedding in preparation of another house guest arriving tonight... I did some cleaning and...

I.HIT.A.WALL...

I am now sitting on the couch feeling just rather blah about life... It's a beautiful sun shiney day outside my window and I just can't muster up any energy or enthusiasm about it...

I think I need a holiday... After a super busy July and a busy start of August... I think I am tired and run down and getting far too caught up in things that really don't matter..

I think I need some time alone... Even though I like to think I present a pretty authentic self... it still sometimes feels like an effort to be surrounded by people.. to be engaging... to be social... things which I just can't be bothered with right now...

I either need to go away and think far too much about things and process it all or just go away and not think about things and start with a clean slate... I feel like I'm stuck in this limbo at the moment where I can't do one or the other and it's just the same empty thoughts that have taken up residency in my brain... cluttering my mind with I don't even know what...

It's one of those days where I feel like I might burst into tears for no apparent reason other than 'just because'...

Maybe I just need to umplug... switch off and lose myself in a good book... I don't remember the last time I read a book....

*sigh*

I'm totally not looking forward to...

Google reader shutting down on Monday... all I can say is WHYYYY???? Whyyyy Google??? Whyyy???

I've signed up to feedly... and I've tried to use it and get used to it... but... I keep resorting back to gReader... gahhh...

*fist shaking*

That is all. Good night.

The day I finally emailed Lothian Buses...

I've been talking about it for yonks... literally yonks and yonks... and today.. I finally did it!!

The Day I Ventured to the Dark Side...

Let it be known.. Today is the day I sold the last of my soul...

Sensory Stimulus - Sound

Let's be honest.. it's not often I walk without being plugged into my ipod... there are times I've left my earplugs in even after my ipod's died, just to avoid crazy homeless people trying to talk to me...
And believe me... THEY DO!!
Case in point : My gay male friend & I, walking home after dinner the other night... Walk past a homeless man who comes up and goes "So what's it like having sex with a woman?"
Our reply : *silence* keep walking, avoid any eye contact...
Homeless guy : Something arather about something bleeding... then goes on with "Oh well, you look like you're past it and in your menopausal stage anyway, so I guess it doesn't matter..."
We keep walking to try get away from him...
He then yells out : "I'll pray for you!"
Uhhhh... thanks?!

Ummm... yup... If I hadn't been so paranoid about him stabbing me with dirty junky needles I probably would have pissed myself laughing at the fact that of all the male friends I've ever walked with, it had to be when I was with a GAY male friend that we get accosted about "our sex life"...

Annnywhos!

This post is actually about the different things I have heard today...

Please note, I am sitting at "Mrs Macquaries Chair" overlooking the Sydney harbour, Harbour Bridge & Opera House... (just to paint you a picture)

The interesting conversations at home with Kevin about WOOF'ing and farming and where we source our food... (that's a whole other post!)

Conversation with Rohan about travel, hoarding, life overseas, electronic music, work etc & the sounds of cooking, chopping, boiling, frying while he made us lunch...

Walking past flats and hearing random snippets of tv... or radio.... Wondering what they are watching or listening to.
Basketballs bouncing against the concrete court.. the scuff of trainers.. two men talking...
Two young children speaking Japanese on the playground...
An ibis flip flapping as it took off in flight...

Coming across a contemporary art exhibition entitled "Scream" at the old Gunnery, the random sound snippets of conversation, commentary & sound effects of the exhibition...

Birds tweeting & chirping, conversing in the Botanic Gardens

Walking past people who have their ipods blaring and wondering what they are listening to...

The crew setting up the stage for Carmen... walkie talkies buzzing.. men & women talking/shouting...

The sound of the waves lapping at the sea wall
Sea planes and helicopters overhead
Commentary from a Hop On/Hop Off tour boat as it goes around the Harbour
Screams and yahoos from the jet boat tour... giving them a wave..
Sounds of the couple exchanging kisses in the sun..

Sound of tourists lining up to take photos
A wedding photographer barking instructions to the bride & groom on the rocks..
Conversations of the pairs of friends out enjoying the sun...
Spanish, Chinese.. Filipino..?

Sound of boats putt putting around the harbour...
Speed boats thudding up and down on the chop..
Squawk of a duck..

Phone ringing and reminding me it was time to leave!


Do you ever walk around and listen to the world around you?
Do you ever just eavesdrop on people's conversations?
Or do you usually have headphones on??

Sensory Stimulus... Smell..

I arrived in Sydney today and as I was walking to meet my friend for dinner I walked past a bunch of restaurants/bars but it was when I was walking past blocks of houses/flats that I couldn't help but pick up the different smells sneaking out of open windows....

Some were familiar and some not so, but they all stirred a sense of wonder... What are people having for dinner?!

I also LOVE the smell of laundromats.. something about the smell of a hot press seems to make my heart happy.. coming into a room where someone's been ironing invokes kind of the same feeling... I couldn't tell you why I love the smell of laundromats but I have since I was little...

The same with freshly cut grass.. although I think that is because it reminds me of sunny Summer days... growing up... when Dad would be out mowing the lawn, which usually meant I could then go out and play in the yard..

I'm pretty sure I like the smell of laundromats & freshly cut grass more than fresh baking.. Something about those two smells just hark back to my childhood...

And one thing I've noticed is that laundromats the world over.. All pretty much smell the same!

Do you have any smells that make you happy? Anywhere you walk past that make you stop and take a deep breath?? Do you share either of my favourite smells or do you think I'm a total weirdo??!!

Google Reader No More

Howdie Doodie!!

Is anyone still out there??!! According to blogger I've not blogged since Dec 2nd, 2012... Hmmm... I wouldn't be surprised if you all were goneskies!!

Well, I am still alive and kicking and adventuring it up.. I've just not had the brain power to sit down and blog.. I think the combination of working only very sporadically and general moving house and travelling.. my attention span and brain power have completely diminished to naught! I've not even kept up with my blog reading at all!

Anywhos.. in case any of you didn't know, Google Reader will be shutting down July 1st.. which left me in a bit of a lurch... although I've not been very actively blog reading.. It was always reassuring to know that when the time comes or when I have a spare hour or two to fill... that gReader would be there... blogs galore... all at the ready for my reading pleasure! So I had a mini panic when I found out one day rather soon there would be gReader no more!

So I somewhat reluctantly signed up to bloglovin' and lovin' it I did not... It's somehow too girly and maybe too full of fashion blogs or some such... it's just not really to my liking...

I then decided to try out Feedly on someone's recommendation... and although I don't like it as much as gReader... I think it shall suffice and once I get used to it and have a wander around and figure out how to "do" stuff I will probably quite like it...

I am however rather sad that I have lost all my "tags" from gReader as they don't seem to have imported into Feedly (all my subscriptions synced when I signed in to Feedly with my gmail account)..

If anyone knows how I might get my tags back??!! You'd be putting a HUGE smile on my face!! Or do you use another programme which you think I might like?? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

In the meantime, make sure you've made the switch before July 1st so you don't lose all the blogs you're following.. including lil' ol' me..!!

Till next time..