Getting to know you

Keely has a regular segment on her blog called "Getting to know YOU" and I figured I may as well join in this week:



1. Would you rather bungee jump or sky dive?

Neither. I'm terribly afraid of heights. Even standing on a chair is enough to make me nervous. I've always wanted to be a thrill seeker but my fear of heights has killed that dream. As a child it was very embarrassing needing to be rescued from obstacle courses and the top of the slide after trying hard to push through my fear.

2. When using a public restroom to you squat over the seat or sit?

Definitely squat. I'd rather go in the bush than in public restrooms though. Gross.

3. Favorite flower?

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Peony

4. Pedicure or manicure?

Pedicure. But I do both myself, because it's free!

5. How many siblings do you have?

I have no biological siblings. I have an Uncle ( my mothers brother) who I was raised with, so I call him my brother. He's 11 years older than me. I always wished for brothers and sisters, and I found it lonely growing up without someone in the house who was my age. One day (hopefully) we will have a big family so our children get to experience that.

6. Do you pee in the shower? (gasp!)

No, but I'm sure it's glorious. I don't think it's fair that other people would have to stand in my wees.

7. Bikini, tankini, or one piece?

Unfortunately, none. I haven't been swimming since I was 18 because I'm too self conscious about my body. Sad, huh?

8. Where do you hate to shop at, but go there anyway?

The supermarket. I find it really claustrophobic, especially the produce section where everyone is grabbing and parking their trolleys with wild abandon. And kids driving the trolleys badly and screaming because they can't get the chocolate bar they want. I hate it. Also I'm really indecisive and can spend ages agonising over which type of pasta to get, which is ridiculous. So yeah, not my favourite!

So, there you go! You could head over to Keely's blog and do it yourself if you want!

Word of the Day - Jeepers!

Holy mackerel it's been an intense day. Work, which has been quiet for ages in now suddenly chaotic and busy. I spent most of the day trying to keep people from punching each other and dealing with families. It's busy and hard work, but really invigorating and rewarding most of the time.

This week we've watched more Woody Allen films, went out for Indian and drank a lot of wine (nothing new there). Tonight we're going to finish watching Desconstructing Harry and make some mix cds for a friend. I'm really looking forward to the weekend. We're going to spend time with some friends and sleep in.

I'm in a really buoyant mood today, so with that in mind here's another song from these guys. I was actually waitressing at the venue when this video was shot, at a great live music venue called Cabaret (now closed down). And yes, that is Bret McKenzie.

Things I'm loving right now

One of the things I love the most about blogland is that I get exposed to so many things I wouldn't otherwise see.
One artists who has really made my day:




Racheal Anilyse

via racheal anailyse

I just love these, they make me feel magical. Check out Racheals blog here. I really love the idea of illustrating a sketch book from cover to cover. I sometimes find I get visually fatigued by my reader being inundated with really amazing images, but these really grabbed me. I also really like the idea of documenting dreams in a memorable way. I've often tried to keep a dream journal but I forget most of the crucial details a few seconds after waking.

I'm always the main character in my dreams. I'm the star of the movie. I know other people who are in their dreams as spectators and are never directly involved. Most of my dreams seem to have some basis in reality before becoming outlandish and surreal. There is usually something I have to accomplish, some item I need to get or someone I am looking for, and I usually don't reach that point before I wake up. Also I seem to have several dreams each night that I manage to merge together in a way that seems to make sense at the time.

How do you dream?

In the Neighbourhood

On Friday I finished work early and took a walk around my neighbourhood with my crappy camera:


















The place I live is by a beach across the sea from Wellington. There is a ferry that goes from one pier to the other, and business people commute each day. It's the first European settlement in the Wellington region, being settled in January 1840. The first settlers arrived on the ship Aurora., but the settlement was abandoned and everyone moved over to Wellington on account of the settlement resting on a swamp, which is understandable.
New Zealand is a young country. Most of the original architecture remains, which isn't a great feat considering it's only 100 years old. I like the place that I live. It's quaint and feels like a little village. It's multicultural and creative. But my mind is still on Sydney.

Do you live where you do deliberately, or is it just something that happened because of convenience? And if you could, where else on earth would you most like to live?

Happy Weekend!

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I've been distracted and haven't posted all week. My mind is on other things that are making me feel introspective and glum.
Things have started to pick up at work, which is great. I like feeling like I have some purpose and for the past few weeks it's been like a ghost town.
The weather here has been generally great and it's starting to feel more like summer.
Lots of good things have happened this week, Adam got a new job which is really exciting for him, I've laughed a lot and had some really great times sitting out on the porch talking about everything under the sun.

Some things have happened over the past few months, and because of that I feel like I am probably losing a friend. A really good friend. It makes me really upset that this is happening, but I don't know what else to do except be dishonest and lie about how I feel. I'm apprehensive about sharing too much here but in short, my friend is in a relationship with someone that I don't approve of (for what I consider good reasons). I'm not the only one that thinks that, but I'm the only one who has said anything about it. If it wasn't serious I wouldn't have said anything, but I felt like I needed to because she is my friend and I care about her. Because I spoke up things have been strained between us. And now I think I've probably lost her. It makes me really upset, but I don't know what to do to make things right. She says that until I can support them both she won't be in my life, and I just don't think I can do that, even if I did it wouldn't be real.

Anyway, sorry for the dump but this has been eating away at me for the past few days and I needed to get it out. I don't want to talk to any of my real life friends about it because I don't want to seem like a gossip, so I've just been holding it in.

Happy Valentines Day!

I used to hate Valentines Day with a passion, usually spending it with a bottle of red wine and Liz Phair's "Exile in Guyville" album.

This year I had a great time. We stayed in and watched Woody Allen films, then had a picnic in the lounge.

I am so thankful for my husband. I am so thankful that I am able to experience love, to love someone else completely and be loved in return.

Here is us at our wedding, and the reading we shared:

Love is a temporary madness,

it erupts like volcanoes and then subsides.

And when it subsides you have to make a decision.

You have to work out whether your roots have so entwined together

that it is inconceivable that you should ever part.
Because this is what love is.

Love is not breathlessness,

it is not excitement,

it is not the promulgation of eternal passion.

That is just being "in love" which any fool can do.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away,

and this is both an art and a fortunate accident.

Those that truly love, have roots that grow towards each other underground,

and when all the pretty blossom have fallen from their branches,

they find that they are one tree and not two.

- Louis de Bernières

Happy Weekend!

It's rainy and grey here today, so we are hiding inside watching the Winter Olympics. We are both huge fans of the Olympics and get really devoted. The New Zealand television commentary is just cringe worthy and embarrassing I almost can't handle it.

Before the weather crapped out we raced down to our local farmers market by the river to pick up some eggs and vegetables.
Since watching Food. Inc we have been completely vegetarian and also trying to buy local produce.








Then we went home and I made the most perfect poached egg that I had to document:


Look at how round it is! This makes me happy. Served with fresh sourdough bread, mushroom, onion, baked beans and tofu hotdogs and cottage cheese.

Here are some pictures of our trip to the bookstore last week:










Have a great weekend everyone!

On Death and Dying

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Today is a sad day. A man with talent and potential and beauty died. Today I also found out that a beautiful, brave woman in the blog world also passed away. One through his own hand and the other through a horrible lottery of life.

I feel for them both. Both were taken before their time.
I have much to say about the willful taking of your own life, which I will save until later. What I will say is that nothing leaves such an unbearable feeling for those that loved that person. I feel for his family and those who loved him as best they can. May he find the peace he was looking for.

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I apologise for the morose posts lately. I'm sure I will return to my usual self soon.

Brighter Things

Some things have happened this week that have made me feel really disheartened and sad. I know that most people wouldn't be bothered as much as me but I've always been really effected by the changes a Government makes that I don't believe are in the best interests of society.


This article pretty much sums it all up.

It will be really sad to leave Wellington but it seems stupid to stay. I love this city, I love the people. It's a really special place. But it's not worth staying and missing out on the opportunity to start a family.

I have a phone interview for a recruitment agency in Sydney in about 15 minutes. My stomach is in knots.

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It will all be ok.

via flickr





Today I need an encouraging banner.

Possessions and Lies

A while ago Chantelle wrote this post about being frugal and refusing to buy non-essentials throughout the month of February. It got me thinking about not buying in to the whole consumerism thing in general. Not just with actions but with my thinking. Then on the weekend I watched a few documentaries about hoarding as a real social problem and started making some connections for myself between the two.

The whole hoarding thing is like watching a car crash. It's really horrible and you feel bad for the people involved, but at the same time it's morbidly fascinating. Anyway I was looking at this site about this poor guy who has just bought endless piles of stuff. I know that there is a mental disorder involved, but something about his need to OWN things really hit home with me.

You know I get heaps of blog posts in my reader each day that have clothes and makeup and furniture and all these other material possessions and I find myself coveting them, and it just seems really wrong. And then when I watched that film I just felt like I was just like them, getting sucked into some false consciousness that if only I could OWN that thing it would make me feel better, more accomplished, that I had arrived, that I was safe.

Don't get me wrong, I love the pretty things in life and wish for certain things and I think that's normal and ok. But only to a point. I've been obsessing about a nail polish for about 3 months now that you can't get in NZ and honestly, I think about it every day. A NAIL POLISH for goodness sake. That's not normal thinking!

There is some part of me that thinks this whole hoarding thing is consumerism on steroids. Corporations want you to buy things so they can make money. They sell you a lie that if you buy a certain product it makes a statement about who you are, and effects how others think of you. The reality is that that is a totally corrupt falsehood - but it's been repeated so often, so much that it has become a social truth. And we are all getting sucked in. Even the 'bohemians' among us.

The whole beauty industry, for example, is all just a corrupt ploy by corporations to make people feel ugly and fat so they can buy a product that "saves" them from themselves. The whole thing is false, but now it's so entrenched in our society that if you see someone who isn't wearing makeup to hide their flaws you feel disdain for them. Even the people that invented that lie in the first place have to conform, or else they are marginalized. I don't even go to the supermarket without putting concealer on anymore - what am I afraid of? That the checkout operator or the guy buying steak are going to look at me and think I'm ugly and therefore a bad person? And tell people they know? There is something seriously, seriously warped about that.

Surely I'm not the only person who feels like this?

Anyway, apologies for the rant. Here's the clip:

Learning to Love You More (again)

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Good grief it is SO quiet at work today I think my brain is stagnating. Typically my workplace is incredibly busy and very stressful but for the past 6 weeks or so there has been an eerie lull in activity. There are tumbleweeds blowing down the corridors.
In the beginning it was really refreshing but now it's got to the point where I feel really frustrated. I know that I should be enjoying the quiet times, but I just can't help but feel like there are so many other things I could be doing right now to make better use of my time.

I've spent LOTS of time on the internet today. Hours. Sometimes I get myself lost and disoriented when I spend alot of time looking at blogs because I can't remember where I started. I need to get outside today.

Anyway, a few posts ago I talked about doing a Miranda July project where you ask your family to describe 'what you do'. Well, I got the answers back. I should have told them it wasn't a competition to make me feel good about myself.
Also, I think maybe I should have directed them in some way because they ended up describing what I did for a job rather than how I spent my time. But still, interesting. Here is what I got back.

From my Grandmother/adoptive Mother:

"Naomi works in a very demanding job and amazes me at her commitment to her patients in an area only suitable for those with strength, love and understanding. Naomi is a very giving person and would give you the shirt of her back ifneeded. She has strong opinions and can talk with a great understanding of what she is saying. Naomi has strong political views which she sometimes needs to tone down a little and see things from both sides. I admire herknowledge and her way with words. Naomi gives 100% commitment to her husband and friends. I love her very much and am proud to be her Mum/Grandma."

From my brother:

"Naomi works in a area of society that most would struggle with and likely want to forget exists. She steps in where others are unwilling or unable to help. Amongst the frustration of the job are the rare moments where comfort can be provided or a care plan followed. Her strong views and forceful personality are used to good effect. She operates in the grey areas that those of us that are overly analytical are paralysed by and gives of her own self to provide support and direction for individuals in a place that puts them at odds with themselves and the rest of society. “

From my nephew (8 years) who proudly accepted the assignment saying "It's not surprising you asked me because I'm so good at writing", and then produced this:

"She’s a social worker at a health centre. She gives medicine for coughs, colds and flu’s. " (not true)

Gee, talk about prolific.


This week I'm going to post further on Food.Inc and how it affected me (and more surprisingly my husband).

Also I've been trying to crochet a granny square for a while now but had to give up because I couldn't do it, and I actually CRIED over it. I was so upset I typed " I can't fucking crochet!!!" into Google but apparently no one feels the same. Well this week I'm going to do it, even if it makes me want to drive the crochet hook into my eye. I shall not be beaten by wool crafts dammit!!!

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In other news, I'm embarrasingly giddy about Valentines Day (!). I've always hated Valentines Day and been the bitter spinster quoting divorce statistics but this year I'm actually excited. I'm not sure if the marketing campaigns have become more effective or if I'm becoming more romantic.

What do you think about Valentines Day, and also, what gifts do you get a man without making their balls shrivel?

Things that saved my sanity this week

Adam and I have been quarantined in our room all week with sickness and it almost drove us mad. We did lots of laying around and complaining, but it's actually been a pretty cool week.

I got lost on the interwebs and found lots of great stuff:

Hoardhouse - a site exploring the issue of compulsive hoarding in New York was really interesting and sad.

We listened to some epidodes of This American Life, a first for me.

We listened to the lullaby renditions of popular rock bands on this site, and got baby envy.

In the real world we watched these movies:

Continuing our quest to watch every Hitchcock film ever made

Because I've never seen a Woody Allen movie. This was so great

This movie was amazing. More on this later.

We also went to the second hand bookstore and stocked up, returned to vegetarianism and went to an outdoor music festival to celebrate Bob Marley's birthday. And I don't even like reggae.

Also these guys have been making me happy this week. They are just another reason why living in Wellington is so great.

Happy weekend everyone!

Songwriting and the Norovirus

So for the past two days Adam and I have been feverish and delusional with the

Norovirus. In between spewing and watching the final season of The O.C, Adam composed a song entitled "Tapdancing Octopus", which we then recorded a few times on Garage Band. It's yet to be perfected, but when it is it shall be posted. In the meantime I leave you with one of my most favourite songs ever, and someone who would surely give a worthy rendition of "Tapdancing Octopus":