Who says I can’t be free, from all of things that I used to be..

Last night I had a major ‘ah ha’ moment. I would say, for a very very long time I’ve struggled with not fitting in anywhere. I don’t feel like too many people ‘get me’. I’m incredibly lucky that the friends I do have, most of who are complete opposites – like me for who I am (whatever that is). They don’t try and force me to be something I’m not.

I’ll be honest, I used to get incredibly nervous about hanging out with one friend in particular. She’s smart, hilarious, extremely confident (or comes across that way) and always looks fantastic. To me, even on a good day I always feel underdressed and pretty much the daggiest person ever. I’d say its only in the last twelve months that I’ve come to accept she really doesn’t care what I look like, but really just likes me for who I am. I’m almost 26, if I haven’t developed fashion sense by now, its not going to happen.

So, this ‘ah ha’ moment I had has been building for awhile. I’m starting to figure out who I am. Where I fit in, how I operate. I care much, much less about what people think.

Let me put it this way. Last night when I walked into the Northcote Social Club and saw everyone sitting legs crossed on the floor, listening to Tessa and The Typecast drinking Coopers Pale Ale, I felt like I fitted in. In fact, I wished I’d left my bike shirt on!

I could not stop grinning!

I’m a stereotype, I don’t know what you call it though. But I’m very happy to be it.

- Jen

There is talk of revolution in the quiet suburbs

Last night we went and saw The Guild League play at the Northcote Social Club. They. Were. Brilliant.

Well I thought so anyway. I’ve been listening to The Lucksmiths all week, so to have Tali White standing a metre away from me at the bar was really exciting. For everyone else I guess he is a guy that plays in a local band. But here is the guy who is singing all the songs I currently love. I was a little ’star’ struck.

Now I knew I liked The Guild League, I got all their albums for Christmas but I’m still not overly familiar with all their songs. There is one song I play regularly, ‘Jet Set Go’ which is one of their most popular songs (judging from the people in the crowd who kept shouting out for them to play it). But yeah, wouldn’t have been able to name some of the songs they were playing.

They started off with ‘If not now’ a song from their latest album, Speak Up… and it was awesome. “There is talk of revolution in the quiet suburbs and a year ago you would have said that was absurd”. I highly recommend if you download the song at from iTunes and give it a listen.

I really enjoyed the whole thing. I probably didn’t enjoy the three tequila shots I did, but at least I can handle tequila better than vodka. Sabriyah, one of Dr Ben’s friends had gotten a promotion so her and I did a tequila shot each to celebrate. We bought a Jack Daniels shot for Dr Ben (at the man’s insistence that he would like one). I had a tiny taste and got that stinging jaw feeling you get when you might throw up. Dr Ben said there was no way he’d drink it. I briefly considered it, but tried to get Sabriyah to have it instead. She wouldn’t have a bar of it, until I said I’d do two tequila shots to her one JD shot. She eagerly accepted.

Such fun. After that we had to leave because we hadn’t eaten…and some of us really needed to. We went and smashed some souvlakis and then headed home. I slept the whole way, well Northcote to Moonee Ponds.

I only wish I had of taken some photos, but didn’t feel it was appropriate. One of those things where you just enjoy the experience (more on that later).

- Jen

The Chapter in Your Life Entitled San Francisco – SOTM January 2010

It seems fitting that SOTM for this month, the first one of a new year is a song that I adore. I mean, that I really really love. Love for the rest of my life love. It’s just one of ‘those’ songs for me. Well the whole album/band really. Maybe you people don’t have the same ‘love’ of music. Particular songs define points in my life. Some songs will always remind me of uni, of Woodstock Crt, of first moving to Melbourne, of the wedding, of before the wedding, of high school, of running etc. They aren’t songs that are ‘in’ around that time either. Just songs I’ve stumbled upon. The Lucksmiths fall squarely into that category. Most songs that I like, will be because of lyrics and/or they remind me of something.

The Lucksmiths, for me are December 2009 and January 2010. They are 100% post wedding. What is it about their songs that are so great? Well firstly they epitomise everything I love about Melbourne. I’ll be honest even though I shouldn’t when I’m riding my bike around at 5am, I sometimes listen to my ipod. Is there anything better than cruising into work through Melbourne’s inner north listening to The Lucksmiths? The answer is no, no there is not. After we got back from our honeymoon I started going to these strength and stretch classes in Fitzroy/Collingwood – right smack bang in Guild League/Lucksmiths territory. I didn’t know the area well at all but now I’m quite well acquainted with Fitzroy, Carlton, Abbotsford, Collingwood, Clifton Hill, Northcote and a little bit more of Brunswick and the Merri Ck trail. Why The Lucksmiths and this area I’m not sure. They’re a Melbourne band, but I’m not sure about their ties with the inner north. I know the Guild League is, one of their albums is titled ‘Inner North’, but not sure about ‘The Luckies’. Just one of those things I guess. The timing of going to those classes, summer nights and holidays and bike riding kind of lend themselves to this kind of music.

What else? Well ‘Chapter in your life’ is about…..well just read this.

Should it one day come to pass, that you sit down to your memoirs, where will this go? Absolute gold. I love it. What a rambling post. But that’s how I feel. Here is a clip of them playing ‘chapter in your life..’. Now they are a ‘live’ band, but of course the version you’ll download from iTunes will sound much cleaner (some will argue better).

The song is off their album ‘warmer corners’.

Oh, and check out the little riff at 03:25. More gold.

- Jen

Come for breakfast and stay for beers

My friend Alex and I had our weekly, or bi-weekly, or tri-weekly (depending on how sick we are of each other) date today. We were supposed to be having brunch on Chapel St. Which we did. But it was such a nice day…..

So after brunch we walked down to St Kilda Rd to the lovely Belgian Beer Garden. Which was practically empty. So we decided to have a beer there and plot our next move. We decided on a leisurely Sunday pub crawl. Our next stop was St Kilda, well St Kilda beach. I don’t think I’ve ever been there before but the man says differently. We ended up at the Espy which I have definitely never been to before. They had posters up saying Reel Big Fish are playing in a few weeks. How cool.

Anyway, our crawl ended there, so it was more of a ‘pub park’, because we parked ourselves there for a couple of hours and drank a lot of beer. Its very very relaxing sitting outside, drinking but you have that dread. The ‘its Monday tomorrow’ dread. Or the ‘I don’t want to stand up’ dread. We ended up getting a snack at Nando’s for afternoon tea…or lunch…or something. Then meandered our way back to Moonee Ponds where I was in charge of ‘cooking’ dinner.

I felt like I had to blog about today because it was so nice. Beautiful weather, great company…and beer!

I’m up late drinking copious amounts of water so I can handle the heat tomorrow…and hopefully ward off a hangover. 43 degrees yikes! Yes, I’m riding. I’m no fool! The trains won’t run anyway.

Oh and of course I forgot to take my camera today. Which usually isn’t a big deal but Alex forgot hers too. Bugger.

- Jen

And we all sing along, and think of things we should’ve done

I had a great new years. We were meant to be going to the beach at Inverloch like we did last year, but someone swooped in there before us and snaffled the place. Boo. So we decided to host it at our place.

We ended up with nine people, which I thought was pretty good. We would have only had seven but Alex and Ben came and crashed the party as a surprise. Which I thought was awesome. I would have been more excited, in fact I was planning something like this but I was busy reading something to the man’s Mum when they walked in and missed my opportunity.

Oh well. We had an awesome night. Everyone was outside until this hit:

At which point we scrambled inside, well some people chose to stand and drink beer in the rain. Ahem. No, it wasn’t me.

Guitar hero was played, a lot. Which is kind of daggy I know, but I think everyone had fun. We also had a game of Kings Cup. Also daggy actually. But I had fun doing that too. Especially as I didn’t lose. There was even an impromptu group sing-a-long of ‘piano man’. Don’t know how it happened, but it did.

I drank a fair bit but didn’t get ‘jenu-drunk’ which is the new play on ‘Tucker Max drunk‘. Not that I get like Tucker Max. But recently I did ‘vandalise’ a certain blanket. Which I have washed three times since. If anything it was a good thing as Shell has not mentioned wanting it since.

I was only drinking beer, not tumblers of vodka which made a big difference. As they say, aaaaaannnnywaay.

So that is two good new years in row. Both years, very quiet no big plans. I’ll wait another year before I say the curse of ‘new years sucks’ is broken.

- Jen

2009 Year in Review video

Just a few photos to prove I kept one of my new years resolutions. Soundtrack is ‘All of my Days’ by Alexi Murdoch. Enjoy!

- Jen

My husband, the hoarder

The man just had a meltdown because the ‘good’ vege peeler has gone missing. Of course one of our numerous house guests probably stole it because they wouldn’t be able to afford a $7 peeler. While I was explaining to the man that its been missing for a few days and I had just gone back to using the inferior, $2 peeler – he strode up to our bedroom, hunted around in some drawers and came back clutching a brand new, in the packaging $7 peeler.

He is a peeler hoarder.

This leads to me to my next question. What else is he hoarding? Surely not anything useful, like candles or tins of baked beans for an emergency. Probably something like a can opener or a spare stubby holder.

I’m a smart-arse and I’m probably going to get in trouble for this post!

- Jen

Avatar

Went and saw Avatar tonight. I forgot it was tight arse Tuesday and had plans to rock up at 6:25pm and purchase tickets to the 3D IMAX 6:30pm showing. We got seats in the 8:15pm 3D regular cinema showing. But we had dinner which killed some time.

Avatar was amazing! I’ve heard mixed reviews but I walked out of it and just grinned. I hate sci-fi, and I don’t have a great imagination but the story sucked me in. Also, Sam Worthington. The 3D was really cool too, I reckon it would be great on the IMAX screen. The man had to work and I went with his sister and their exchange student. They both loved it as well. If the man really wanted to see it I might go again if we could get into the IMAX viewing.

Seriously, go see it but make sure you see it in 3D.

- Jen

Oh Christmas tree, how itchy and spiky are your branches…

Tonight when I got home from the movies the man says to me “I think you….I think… we should take the Christmas tree down tomorrow”. I scowled at him, because putting it up was a huge pain in the arse and I was planning on leaving it up. But we are having guests for new years, so I said I would take it down while he was at work.

Then he must of remembered who he was dealing with – an uncoordinated, poorly skilled arranger/packer who only married into the Fankhauser name and doesn’t actually possess the FPG (Fankhauser Packing Gene) . He changed his mind and said (and I quote) “actually don’t worry about it – you will just stuff it up”.

Well!! Who says I am not stubborn. After he went to bed I stealthily took that thing apart, and fitted it neatly back in the box. It took me two hours. So I’m typing this at 2:30am. But I did it.

Now my next question: Was this reverse psychology? Will he walk out in the morning and see it all packed up and go ‘got her’. OR, will he panic, open the box and repack it?

I will report back.

- Jen

It’s the best time of the year

We had a really nice, if haphazard Christmas. We went from Melbourne > Beechworth > Berrigan > Beechworth > Mansfield > Melbourne. We spent Christmas Day in Berrigan for Petzke, well technically McDonald Christmas. But this year is supposed to be Fankhauser Christmas which was held in Beechworth. So we had to drop our Kris Kringle presents off there before going to Berrigan. Huge pain in the arse? Yes.

Christmas on the farm was nice. We stayed at the man’s sister’s place so we got to wake up and see what Santa had left for the kids. They were so excited.

This is my nephew Jye. I am excited because now that we are married I have one niece and two nephews. Very cool. After opening Santa presents we went down to the other farm for lunch which was nice, but there was a fly invasion which made eating a little tricky. We stayed there until 2am and played a game of ‘Oh Shit’, which is the only card game I ever remember how to play, so it is therefore awesome. Even though some people had never played it before, I still came last. I am shocking at cards!

Boxing Day we were up early and drove to Beechworth for the last bit of Fankhauser Christmas. I really wish we could have been there for the whole thing. We did get to see Shaun set off the fire alarm while cooking on the bbq though. It wasn’t a smoke detector it was a full blown fire alarm like you get at work with the ‘beep beep’ and the ‘whoop whoop’. It went off all over La Trobe at Beechworth so people from other accomodation areas were wandering around looking for the fire. HILARIOUS.

Then later on the kids were out the front throwing a frisbee which got stuck in a tree. Shaun and Jumpy thought it would be a good idea to kick a footy up there to knock the frisbee out. But then the footy got stuck. So they threw a broom up there, which also got stuck. So they gave Shaun a boost and put him up the tree. They got the footy and the frisbee back but no dice on the broom.

We also got to have a second Christmas lunch in Beechworth which was really nice. Mmmm plum pudding!!!

On the 27th we drove back to Melbourne via Mansfield to visit Matt’s Dad and his step mum. We had more plum pudding which was awesome!

Oh and we saw this little fella:

It’s an echidna that was curled up under a tree. The dogs were freaking out which was how we found it. It’s pretty big!

I got some nice Christmas presents. A fit ball which I asked for, all The Guild League albums, a Borders voucher, lots of tea and a cool tea mug from Shell. It was a bit sad that we didn’t get time to visit my family, but next year we will be able to spend the whole time with them which will be nice. Now I’m at home relaxing until I go back to work on the 4th. Jase and Shell are coming down in a couple of days for new years which is just a bbq at home. Should be good though.

- Jen