So, there is a lot of stuff going on in my world at the moment. It's so full on and I barely have time to string a sentence together. We have had the removalists in to do a quote (which I should get back today and which I am anticipating to be HORRENDOUS) and had some friends over who are young and starting out and need furniture and household stuff to show them all the things we don't want. The nanny has been booked pretty much solidly for the next few weeks so we can pack our shit (of which there is an enormous amount). Eleven years of stuff to pack up. Eeek!
We will be moving out of our house mid May into a serviced apartment in Subiaco for a couple of weeks before we make the final trip to Victoria on June 2nd. I'm not thrilled with the idea of 2 weeks in an apartment, but we are not fair from a big park and the shops are VERY close, so we will have stuff to keep the ferals amused, I hope. Plus I have a lot of people to see before we go.
On top of all this I can't switch my brain off at all anymore. It is constantly thinking about so many different things. I have a lot of personal goals this year and I refuse to fail at any of them. Which means I keep on planning in my head and trying to find the time to work at them, but I think I need to just write off the next month and try to not think about stuff.
On an exciting front though, I am about to book in for my next tattoo! I can't wait. That's part of the problem with tatts though ... it gets kinda addictive. This will be number 4 (although I am incorporating it with another one) and I am looking forward to seeing the final result. Not looking forward to the pain so much though!
Anyway, busy day ahead again. My days are always busy yet I often get to the end of the day and wonder exactly what I did all day! Most days I feel like all I am is a 24/7 Dairy Queen!!
Also, the forecast for the day in Central Vic, where we are moving to, is 2C - 12C! ZOMG!! WA just rarely ever gets that cold. The coldest day I have experienced in WA was about 1C and that was a couple of years ago! Brrrrrr! Where we are going can easily and regularly get to minus 5C!!! Not happy about that. Although, it IS perfect boots and denim weather :D
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Sad night :(
Pretty sad right now. Drank a bit too much tonight and got reflective. I started executing all the final parts of our move east today. Had the removalists here for a quote ... wrote an end of lease letter to my landlord ... booked accommodation for the 'in between' period .. and rang Qantas and booked a one way ticket to Melbourne. Even had to book in the cat.
I have a list of things to do a mile long still and can't bare to face it.
I have to say goodbye to my girls and it's gutting me.
I know that leaving is the best decision I could have made for my kids, but I am so so sad right now. I love Perth. I would live here forever if I could.
Doesn't help that I keep selecting all the sad ass songs on my ipod either!
I have a list of things to do a mile long still and can't bare to face it.
I have to say goodbye to my girls and it's gutting me.
I know that leaving is the best decision I could have made for my kids, but I am so so sad right now. I love Perth. I would live here forever if I could.
Doesn't help that I keep selecting all the sad ass songs on my ipod either!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
8 random facts
Okay, well, this kinda sucks as I only just posted a 5 random facts post, but I was tagged by @Fifikins to write this, so I won't disappoint :D
1. I'm left handed, which generally speaking is a sign of creativity. Watch actors in films, they are often left handed. I love being a lefty! I am however quite talented as I can do a hell of a lot of things right handed. I play tennis right handed for example.
2. I had my first kiss at 11. First french kiss at 12. Different boys too. Though the boy I kissed at 11 I went on to date on and off until I was 17. He was the first guy I ever loved. After he broke my heart constantly, he asked me (at 17) to move to Alice Springs with him. Then I broke his heart and said no.
3. I grew up in the country, which I left at 20 to move to Perth. After 11 years here, we are moving back to the country to give our kids that same unique opportunity of having the freedom and safety that comes with country living.
4. I know a lot of people but only let a select few in. These friends mean the world to me and I am fiercely protective of them. If you are judged by the friends you keep, then I must be the luckiest person around.
5. I'm a cat person. I have always had a cat. My first cat (I was 4ish) was fluffy and grey and I called him Muffin. He grew so big (we nicknamed him Horse, like the cat from Footrot Flats) that mum made me change his name. So we called him Matthew. In year 12, when I was 17, I went on a 9 day trek across Tasmania. Before I left I said goodbye to Matthew. Halfway through the trek I turned to my best friend and said, 'Matthew just died'. When I got home I ran inside looking for him and saw mum's face. He had died the day I felt it. Still brings a tear to my eye. When we moved here we got a cat, Max. Max was the most awesome cat in the world and I was so protective of him. We got him from a shelter and he climbed on top of all these other little weeny kitties to get to me. He died suddenly and without reason just before he turned 8. That was a really hard day for me. Max was my baby. I was heartbroken. Fortunately we still had Russia, our little runt putty tat, who we also picked out from the same shelter. She was beaten badly as a kitten and sustained permanent injuries. She was only 5 months old when we got her, so I have no idea what kind of a person could have done that to her! She was so tiny and shy. Scared of men for years. It was only after Max died that she came out of her shell. She is still with us, thankfully.
6. I used to work at Dick Smith Electronics. This is funny as all hell to me as I am so not tech minded! Particularly back then! I used to sell all kinds of things to people that were so geeky. I used to get abused constantly by chauvinistic men who said I shouldn't be working in a man's world. Really, they should have said I shouldn't be working in electronics cos I was useless at it, not cos I was a woman!! I did, however, specialise in mobile phones and became very good at it. I would attend all kinds of Telstra dos and was constantly called by Telstra to commend my actions after happy costumers had called them regarding my 'expertise and help'. :D
7. I have never been overseas. I am going on my first trip overseas later this year, and going ON MY OWN! No kids, or hubby for that matter! Looking forward to doing something I should have done as a teenager.
8. I absolutely love lingerie and can't stand to wear boring practical cotton undies! I like the mystery of lingerie. Knowing what I have on underneath whilst no one else does!!
So there you go. Another 8 random facts. Now I have to tag 8 more people to do this, so here goes ...
@BZB
@jackienopants
@jjprojects
@delaynie
@mercy
@bronwen
@Devyl
@velvetsarah
Have fun and enjoy!!
1. I'm left handed, which generally speaking is a sign of creativity. Watch actors in films, they are often left handed. I love being a lefty! I am however quite talented as I can do a hell of a lot of things right handed. I play tennis right handed for example.
2. I had my first kiss at 11. First french kiss at 12. Different boys too. Though the boy I kissed at 11 I went on to date on and off until I was 17. He was the first guy I ever loved. After he broke my heart constantly, he asked me (at 17) to move to Alice Springs with him. Then I broke his heart and said no.
3. I grew up in the country, which I left at 20 to move to Perth. After 11 years here, we are moving back to the country to give our kids that same unique opportunity of having the freedom and safety that comes with country living.
4. I know a lot of people but only let a select few in. These friends mean the world to me and I am fiercely protective of them. If you are judged by the friends you keep, then I must be the luckiest person around.
5. I'm a cat person. I have always had a cat. My first cat (I was 4ish) was fluffy and grey and I called him Muffin. He grew so big (we nicknamed him Horse, like the cat from Footrot Flats) that mum made me change his name. So we called him Matthew. In year 12, when I was 17, I went on a 9 day trek across Tasmania. Before I left I said goodbye to Matthew. Halfway through the trek I turned to my best friend and said, 'Matthew just died'. When I got home I ran inside looking for him and saw mum's face. He had died the day I felt it. Still brings a tear to my eye. When we moved here we got a cat, Max. Max was the most awesome cat in the world and I was so protective of him. We got him from a shelter and he climbed on top of all these other little weeny kitties to get to me. He died suddenly and without reason just before he turned 8. That was a really hard day for me. Max was my baby. I was heartbroken. Fortunately we still had Russia, our little runt putty tat, who we also picked out from the same shelter. She was beaten badly as a kitten and sustained permanent injuries. She was only 5 months old when we got her, so I have no idea what kind of a person could have done that to her! She was so tiny and shy. Scared of men for years. It was only after Max died that she came out of her shell. She is still with us, thankfully.
6. I used to work at Dick Smith Electronics. This is funny as all hell to me as I am so not tech minded! Particularly back then! I used to sell all kinds of things to people that were so geeky. I used to get abused constantly by chauvinistic men who said I shouldn't be working in a man's world. Really, they should have said I shouldn't be working in electronics cos I was useless at it, not cos I was a woman!! I did, however, specialise in mobile phones and became very good at it. I would attend all kinds of Telstra dos and was constantly called by Telstra to commend my actions after happy costumers had called them regarding my 'expertise and help'. :D
7. I have never been overseas. I am going on my first trip overseas later this year, and going ON MY OWN! No kids, or hubby for that matter! Looking forward to doing something I should have done as a teenager.
8. I absolutely love lingerie and can't stand to wear boring practical cotton undies! I like the mystery of lingerie. Knowing what I have on underneath whilst no one else does!!
So there you go. Another 8 random facts. Now I have to tag 8 more people to do this, so here goes ...
@BZB
@jackienopants
@jjprojects
@delaynie
@mercy
@bronwen
@Devyl
@velvetsarah
Have fun and enjoy!!
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Stay at home mums don't work? Yeah right.
So, in light of the fact that I barely had any sleep last night, I thought I would make a little mention of it here for all those people out there (and there are quite a few) who think stay at home mums have it easy.
I often get told that I don't work. Right. Let me just say that I would love to have an easy day job. In fact, my last job, which involved standing for 13 hours a day was far easier than being a mum. When I knocked off work I left my work there, came home, relaxed, ate dinner in peace, watched some TV, read the odd book, flicked through magazines, surfed the net, went out whenever I bloody felt like it, had spontaneous sex, ate and drank what I liked when I liked and slept for as long as I desired.
As a mum, I am on call 24/7. As a mum of a newborn this is really put to the test. I spend hours holding her during the day whilst trying to make sandwiches for the other two. I feed all day long and feel like a damn dairy queen most of the time. I barely eat, as by the time I have finished feeding 3 kids I'm not hungry any more. My dinner, if I get it, is often at 9pm, eaten standing up and cold. I haven't read a book in years. I buy magazines that can easily sit there for days before I even open them. I am often online, only because I can watch the kids playing in the backyard from my desk, but I spend a lot of time typing one handed as I am usually holding the Newbie. If I want to go out, I have to organise a babysitter. If I go out with 3 kids ... let's just say I rarely go out with 3 kids. Spontaneous sex is a thing of the past ... now it's more a quickie whenever I can (and with every conceivable contraception as I ain't going back for another kid!!). I have to watch what I drink and eat as it affects my milk and therefore affects the newbie. And sleep, well, last night was a fairly typical night for me .. I fell asleep on the couch around 11, woke up at midnight, fed until nearly 1am, back up at 2.30, fed til 3ish, then up at quarter to 5, fed til 5.30ish so decided what was the point in going back to sleep as the next kid would be up soon and if I wanted any chance of being showered for the day I had better do it now.
So it's 6.30am, I am showered and drinking coffee. It's been another hard night with barely any sleep ...
But I wouldn't trade my job for any other. Because as much as my ferals drive me insane they are the light of my life. And how special is it to look at something that you have created, that has grown inside you, that you have nurtured and watch grow.
Just don't tell me that I don't work!!
I often get told that I don't work. Right. Let me just say that I would love to have an easy day job. In fact, my last job, which involved standing for 13 hours a day was far easier than being a mum. When I knocked off work I left my work there, came home, relaxed, ate dinner in peace, watched some TV, read the odd book, flicked through magazines, surfed the net, went out whenever I bloody felt like it, had spontaneous sex, ate and drank what I liked when I liked and slept for as long as I desired.
As a mum, I am on call 24/7. As a mum of a newborn this is really put to the test. I spend hours holding her during the day whilst trying to make sandwiches for the other two. I feed all day long and feel like a damn dairy queen most of the time. I barely eat, as by the time I have finished feeding 3 kids I'm not hungry any more. My dinner, if I get it, is often at 9pm, eaten standing up and cold. I haven't read a book in years. I buy magazines that can easily sit there for days before I even open them. I am often online, only because I can watch the kids playing in the backyard from my desk, but I spend a lot of time typing one handed as I am usually holding the Newbie. If I want to go out, I have to organise a babysitter. If I go out with 3 kids ... let's just say I rarely go out with 3 kids. Spontaneous sex is a thing of the past ... now it's more a quickie whenever I can (and with every conceivable contraception as I ain't going back for another kid!!). I have to watch what I drink and eat as it affects my milk and therefore affects the newbie. And sleep, well, last night was a fairly typical night for me .. I fell asleep on the couch around 11, woke up at midnight, fed until nearly 1am, back up at 2.30, fed til 3ish, then up at quarter to 5, fed til 5.30ish so decided what was the point in going back to sleep as the next kid would be up soon and if I wanted any chance of being showered for the day I had better do it now.
So it's 6.30am, I am showered and drinking coffee. It's been another hard night with barely any sleep ...
But I wouldn't trade my job for any other. Because as much as my ferals drive me insane they are the light of my life. And how special is it to look at something that you have created, that has grown inside you, that you have nurtured and watch grow.
Just don't tell me that I don't work!!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
5 Teaser facts about me
As part of my quest to write my '100 Random Facts' I thought I would write a quick list of 5 .. kinda like a teaser!
1. I have 3 tattoos. A four leaf clover on my back, a little yin yang with a flower incorporated in it that I designed myself on my left thigh and a totally stunning butterfly on the small of my back. I am in the process of adding two more, one of which will be another of my own designs.
2. I like to drink, but I drink for pleasure not to get smashed ... okay, well sometimes I drink to get smashed! I often drink to dull the pain of the ferals! My all time favourite drink is Vintage Veuve Cliquot Champagne. The most expensive drink I have had is Penfolds Grange (1996) followed by Dom Perignon. I love Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay and a number of different reislings including but not limited to: Howard Park, Pikes, Leeuwin Estate and Castle Rock. I have spent countless hours in the wineries of Margaret River and the Great Southern, the Pyrenees region in Victoria and the Yarra Valley. Would love to travel Italy to discover it's wines (and food), France for it's champagne and red wines, New Zealand for it's Sauvignon Blanc and Santa Barbara in California because I loved the film Sideways (good reasoning huh?).
3. My mum is a red headed, German born, highly strung perfectionist. My dad is UK born with a terribly dry sense of humour, a passion for travel and doing things with his hands. Both are very opinionated but somewhat pessimistic (in my opinion!!). I am a blend of the two of them, taking after my dad more. I have a high level of sarcasm, quite a temper (at times), an extreme need to travel and a bit of a perfectionist streak. However I am an optimist and believe my glass is always half full. If you're on the bottom rung, the only way is up.
4. I used to sing, play piano and even dabbled with the guitar. My brother had a band and I used to mess about with them whilst they jammed. I wrote songs for them which were recorded as well. I would love to continue singing but don't have the time to take lessons. So I sing to myself constantly. I would like to point out that I RULE at Singstar ... no one comes close .... :P
And 5. My ferals drive me nuts, are hard work, make me reach for the alcohol every night and reduce me to tears on an almost daily basis, but I would throw myself under a bus to protect them and would rather die than let anything happen to them. As proof of this, (small fact but true) even though I am terrified of spiders I have squished them with my bare hands to stop them getting to my kids. And I always will.
OK I have a number 6. I am in the preparation stages of writing my first book. :D
Hope you enjoyed a little insight into me!
1. I have 3 tattoos. A four leaf clover on my back, a little yin yang with a flower incorporated in it that I designed myself on my left thigh and a totally stunning butterfly on the small of my back. I am in the process of adding two more, one of which will be another of my own designs.
2. I like to drink, but I drink for pleasure not to get smashed ... okay, well sometimes I drink to get smashed! I often drink to dull the pain of the ferals! My all time favourite drink is Vintage Veuve Cliquot Champagne. The most expensive drink I have had is Penfolds Grange (1996) followed by Dom Perignon. I love Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay and a number of different reislings including but not limited to: Howard Park, Pikes, Leeuwin Estate and Castle Rock. I have spent countless hours in the wineries of Margaret River and the Great Southern, the Pyrenees region in Victoria and the Yarra Valley. Would love to travel Italy to discover it's wines (and food), France for it's champagne and red wines, New Zealand for it's Sauvignon Blanc and Santa Barbara in California because I loved the film Sideways (good reasoning huh?).
3. My mum is a red headed, German born, highly strung perfectionist. My dad is UK born with a terribly dry sense of humour, a passion for travel and doing things with his hands. Both are very opinionated but somewhat pessimistic (in my opinion!!). I am a blend of the two of them, taking after my dad more. I have a high level of sarcasm, quite a temper (at times), an extreme need to travel and a bit of a perfectionist streak. However I am an optimist and believe my glass is always half full. If you're on the bottom rung, the only way is up.
4. I used to sing, play piano and even dabbled with the guitar. My brother had a band and I used to mess about with them whilst they jammed. I wrote songs for them which were recorded as well. I would love to continue singing but don't have the time to take lessons. So I sing to myself constantly. I would like to point out that I RULE at Singstar ... no one comes close .... :P
And 5. My ferals drive me nuts, are hard work, make me reach for the alcohol every night and reduce me to tears on an almost daily basis, but I would throw myself under a bus to protect them and would rather die than let anything happen to them. As proof of this, (small fact but true) even though I am terrified of spiders I have squished them with my bare hands to stop them getting to my kids. And I always will.
OK I have a number 6. I am in the preparation stages of writing my first book. :D
Hope you enjoyed a little insight into me!
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
My thoughts on last nights episode of Underbelly
I am loving the series 'Underbelly' screening now around Australia (excluding Victoria). Based on the gangland murders that happened in Melbourne between roughly 1995-2004. It makes for absolutely compelling viewing and whilst no doubt fictionalized to a huge amount gives an insight into a world that very few of us can imagine.
Last nights episode was centered on the murder of Jason Moran, which is the one that I personally remember the most as it is the one that disturbed me the most. Jason Moran was shot in his car, with his kids witnessing the whole event. The shooting occurred just after a footy session in broad daylight with plenty of other innocent children witness to the brutal killing. It saddened me then as it does now to think of those poor kids.
It did however prompt to trains of thought in me. The first: obviously most if not all the people involved in these gang wars are just sick minded individuals with no thought of the consequences of their actions. You got a problem with someone, fine, deal with it with them. Don't bring in people who don't deserve to be brought in. Particularly kids. Fuck that. The second train of thought I had was this: these kids witnessed their dad being killed ... what happens when they grow up? Will retribution be on the cards? The whole 'gangland war' began after one murder prompted a 'payback'. It's a vicious cycle that may never end. Sad to think really.
Anyway, it's 5:30 AM .. I need coffee but don't want to boil the kettle for fear I will wake a child. And I don't want that! I am working on a '100 random things about me blog' that will probably be only interesting to me, but then again, I like to read them about other people, so maybe it's something to look forward to!!
Last nights episode was centered on the murder of Jason Moran, which is the one that I personally remember the most as it is the one that disturbed me the most. Jason Moran was shot in his car, with his kids witnessing the whole event. The shooting occurred just after a footy session in broad daylight with plenty of other innocent children witness to the brutal killing. It saddened me then as it does now to think of those poor kids.
It did however prompt to trains of thought in me. The first: obviously most if not all the people involved in these gang wars are just sick minded individuals with no thought of the consequences of their actions. You got a problem with someone, fine, deal with it with them. Don't bring in people who don't deserve to be brought in. Particularly kids. Fuck that. The second train of thought I had was this: these kids witnessed their dad being killed ... what happens when they grow up? Will retribution be on the cards? The whole 'gangland war' began after one murder prompted a 'payback'. It's a vicious cycle that may never end. Sad to think really.
Anyway, it's 5:30 AM .. I need coffee but don't want to boil the kettle for fear I will wake a child. And I don't want that! I am working on a '100 random things about me blog' that will probably be only interesting to me, but then again, I like to read them about other people, so maybe it's something to look forward to!!
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Leaving WA :(
So we are moving to the country. This has prompted me to write about the things I will miss about Perth and in particular my home suburb.
We have been here almost 11 years. In this time I have made some unbelievable friends and had most of the best moments of my life. Not surprising really when you consider I was only 20 when we crossed the Nullabor from Victoria. I basically did all my real growing up here.
When we first got here we lived in Fremantle. Freo is great for tourists, but not so good for residents, in my opinion. It’s kinda sucky when there are 7000 people at your local shop buying film, batteries and souvenir t-shirts when you just want a loaf of bread. Also kinda sucky to work in Freo .. quite a bit of trouble went on downtown and I hated working late nights because the walk back to my car was always fraught with danger! I saw many interesting things out the front of the shop I worked in back then. I saw a guy stop his car and chuck his girlfriend and baby out onto the pavement then speed off while she yelled obscenities at him whilst her poor little girl sat in the middle of the road screaming. I saw teenage girls wondering around endlessly covered in silver paint high as kites with nothing else to do than beg for money to buy more paint to sniff. Saw countless homeless people asleep in the middle of the path. People getting beaten up. I was constantly hounded for cigarettes. I was so happy the day I finished working down there in Freo.
Then I moved on to work with hubby in Cottesloe. Much nicer area to work in I can tell you. It’s beachside locale made it a mecca for the rich and good looking which meant come summer time it turned into a major perv fest! The car park was always full of Mercs and BMWs, Porches, Jags and Astons. On a Sunday the odd Ferrari or Lambo would be out for its weekly airing. Of course, a helluva lot of rich people are just plain assholes, so I dealt with all that shit too.
In 2005 we moved from Freo to Claremont. I have to say that that was a fantastic move. Claremont is literally minutes from everything. Five minutes from the beach. Two minutes from the river. About seven minutes from Subiaco. Ten minutes from the CBD. We moved into a house here and have loved the area ever since.
Here’s what I love the most about Claremont:
David Jones is a ten minute walk away. As is Mecca Cosmetica. As is Country Road. And my favourite shop for bags, Morrison. The eyebrow king Matt Yuko is there. And a myriad of other shops I frequent regularly.
Cottesloe is a 5 minute drive away (30 in school traffic though!!!). And in Cottesloe there is Hobbs (for shoes), Stiller (clothes) and Leaf (for their Iced Moroccan Mint Tea). Summaglo for their unbelievable spray tan. Viddlers (which is a different name now, methinks) for Havaianas and Rip Curl, Quiksilver and Billabong.
For the kids, Claremont and Cottesloe both have Oblong, a long time favourite of mine. Plus in Claremont, the Early Learning Centre and in Cottesloe, Windmill.
Don’t even get me started on Subiaco, which is five minutes in the other direction! There is another Hobbs ... and Lisa Ho ... BellaBeWear and Hidden Lace (for lingerie). Linneys (jewellery) and my tattoo parlour and Strip Waxing.
As you can see, I am fully catered for in a five minute radius.
When we move to the country I will have nothing like this within this distance. Fortunately Melbourne is only an hour and a half away, so I will be able to frequent it enough to satisfy my shopping addiction. But in my new hometown itself? Let me enlighten you. There is a Target Country. And I think a surf shop (no idea why, the closest surf is 2 hours away!). My best friend owns a clothing shop (clothes too ‘old’ for me but). I believe there is a funkier clothes shop up one end of town but outrageously pricey! There’s a day spa kinda place run by a girl who was about 4 when I was in high school. And not much else worth mentioning ...
Now as you can see (!!), I am going to suffer dramatically in that department!
On a more personal note, in our 11 years as residents of WA, I have made some of the best friends of my entire life. Girls that I have shared so much with. My fellow MILFs (which is how I like to refer to ourselves!). There is a group of us who met after the birth of our first children almost 4 years ago. There are nine of us in this group, and we still meet every week for a catch up. Three of these girls have become a massive part of my life. Such a big part that I don’t like to talk about leaving WA too much as it makes me too upset. These girls have been there for me through so much. We have all cried together, laughed together and had second children together. I had my third bub, and one of the girls is pregnant with her third, who I will miss the birth of as I will have moved east prior to it’s arrival. This is truly disappointing, however I am already planning a trip back to Perth so I can meet her new arrival!
WA is such a special place to me also because our 3 children were born here. They are little West Aussies and always will be. Perth is where I basically grew up. Where I ‘evolved’. I consider myself more West Australian than Victorian (though the hardcore Westies will dispute this!!) and I consider this proudly! WA is where we became successful . WA is home to the most perfect weather. WA is home to Broome, one of my all time favourite places to be. In fact, Cable Beach is my favourite beach ever!! The red sand of far north WA is so beautiful and so etched into my memory.
On the flip side however, Victoria is home to our best friends. Our children’s god(less) parents (godless as neither of us believe in god and guardian sounds so ... erg) live there and our god(less) kids are there. My best friend from high school and her family (twin boys!!) live there. Hubby’s other best mate is there. Plus there are a heap of other friends we grew up with all around the corner. We have bought a great house on a massive block of land in the best street in town. We have the means to renovate this house to be THE house of our dreams. We have 2.5 acres of land with 200 vines (hooo! grapes for vino!!). When we have finished with our renovations it will be one of the best looking houses ever! And I am so excited by this. To get the same thing here in Perth, in the best street in town, would have set us back MILLIONS of dollars! This way, in Central Vic, we can have the land, the house of our dreams, and the Porsche we have always wanted!! :D
So it’s a tough moment in my life. On the one hand so excited to be going back to my roots and bringing my kids up safely in the country with beautiful clean air, and close friends and family nearby. On the other hand, I am giving away the city of my dreams, with some of the best girls I have ever had the extreme good fortune to meet, not to mention the easily accessible amenities ...
There are gonna be tears shed soon ... many many tears. Of sadness and of joy.
We have been here almost 11 years. In this time I have made some unbelievable friends and had most of the best moments of my life. Not surprising really when you consider I was only 20 when we crossed the Nullabor from Victoria. I basically did all my real growing up here.
When we first got here we lived in Fremantle. Freo is great for tourists, but not so good for residents, in my opinion. It’s kinda sucky when there are 7000 people at your local shop buying film, batteries and souvenir t-shirts when you just want a loaf of bread. Also kinda sucky to work in Freo .. quite a bit of trouble went on downtown and I hated working late nights because the walk back to my car was always fraught with danger! I saw many interesting things out the front of the shop I worked in back then. I saw a guy stop his car and chuck his girlfriend and baby out onto the pavement then speed off while she yelled obscenities at him whilst her poor little girl sat in the middle of the road screaming. I saw teenage girls wondering around endlessly covered in silver paint high as kites with nothing else to do than beg for money to buy more paint to sniff. Saw countless homeless people asleep in the middle of the path. People getting beaten up. I was constantly hounded for cigarettes. I was so happy the day I finished working down there in Freo.
Then I moved on to work with hubby in Cottesloe. Much nicer area to work in I can tell you. It’s beachside locale made it a mecca for the rich and good looking which meant come summer time it turned into a major perv fest! The car park was always full of Mercs and BMWs, Porches, Jags and Astons. On a Sunday the odd Ferrari or Lambo would be out for its weekly airing. Of course, a helluva lot of rich people are just plain assholes, so I dealt with all that shit too.
In 2005 we moved from Freo to Claremont. I have to say that that was a fantastic move. Claremont is literally minutes from everything. Five minutes from the beach. Two minutes from the river. About seven minutes from Subiaco. Ten minutes from the CBD. We moved into a house here and have loved the area ever since.
Here’s what I love the most about Claremont:
David Jones is a ten minute walk away. As is Mecca Cosmetica. As is Country Road. And my favourite shop for bags, Morrison. The eyebrow king Matt Yuko is there. And a myriad of other shops I frequent regularly.
Cottesloe is a 5 minute drive away (30 in school traffic though!!!). And in Cottesloe there is Hobbs (for shoes), Stiller (clothes) and Leaf (for their Iced Moroccan Mint Tea). Summaglo for their unbelievable spray tan. Viddlers (which is a different name now, methinks) for Havaianas and Rip Curl, Quiksilver and Billabong.
For the kids, Claremont and Cottesloe both have Oblong, a long time favourite of mine. Plus in Claremont, the Early Learning Centre and in Cottesloe, Windmill.
Don’t even get me started on Subiaco, which is five minutes in the other direction! There is another Hobbs ... and Lisa Ho ... BellaBeWear and Hidden Lace (for lingerie). Linneys (jewellery) and my tattoo parlour and Strip Waxing.
As you can see, I am fully catered for in a five minute radius.
When we move to the country I will have nothing like this within this distance. Fortunately Melbourne is only an hour and a half away, so I will be able to frequent it enough to satisfy my shopping addiction. But in my new hometown itself? Let me enlighten you. There is a Target Country. And I think a surf shop (no idea why, the closest surf is 2 hours away!). My best friend owns a clothing shop (clothes too ‘old’ for me but). I believe there is a funkier clothes shop up one end of town but outrageously pricey! There’s a day spa kinda place run by a girl who was about 4 when I was in high school. And not much else worth mentioning ...
Now as you can see (!!), I am going to suffer dramatically in that department!
On a more personal note, in our 11 years as residents of WA, I have made some of the best friends of my entire life. Girls that I have shared so much with. My fellow MILFs (which is how I like to refer to ourselves!). There is a group of us who met after the birth of our first children almost 4 years ago. There are nine of us in this group, and we still meet every week for a catch up. Three of these girls have become a massive part of my life. Such a big part that I don’t like to talk about leaving WA too much as it makes me too upset. These girls have been there for me through so much. We have all cried together, laughed together and had second children together. I had my third bub, and one of the girls is pregnant with her third, who I will miss the birth of as I will have moved east prior to it’s arrival. This is truly disappointing, however I am already planning a trip back to Perth so I can meet her new arrival!
WA is such a special place to me also because our 3 children were born here. They are little West Aussies and always will be. Perth is where I basically grew up. Where I ‘evolved’. I consider myself more West Australian than Victorian (though the hardcore Westies will dispute this!!) and I consider this proudly! WA is where we became successful . WA is home to the most perfect weather. WA is home to Broome, one of my all time favourite places to be. In fact, Cable Beach is my favourite beach ever!! The red sand of far north WA is so beautiful and so etched into my memory.
On the flip side however, Victoria is home to our best friends. Our children’s god(less) parents (godless as neither of us believe in god and guardian sounds so ... erg) live there and our god(less) kids are there. My best friend from high school and her family (twin boys!!) live there. Hubby’s other best mate is there. Plus there are a heap of other friends we grew up with all around the corner. We have bought a great house on a massive block of land in the best street in town. We have the means to renovate this house to be THE house of our dreams. We have 2.5 acres of land with 200 vines (hooo! grapes for vino!!). When we have finished with our renovations it will be one of the best looking houses ever! And I am so excited by this. To get the same thing here in Perth, in the best street in town, would have set us back MILLIONS of dollars! This way, in Central Vic, we can have the land, the house of our dreams, and the Porsche we have always wanted!! :D
So it’s a tough moment in my life. On the one hand so excited to be going back to my roots and bringing my kids up safely in the country with beautiful clean air, and close friends and family nearby. On the other hand, I am giving away the city of my dreams, with some of the best girls I have ever had the extreme good fortune to meet, not to mention the easily accessible amenities ...
There are gonna be tears shed soon ... many many tears. Of sadness and of joy.
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