2012

So another year has passed.  Another year of struggling, trials and the odd moment of joy and hilarity.  I go into 2013 still single with a menagerie of animals that ensure I get out of bed each morning (sometime afternoon). 

Let’s get into this:

January

I started the year at Field Day, a music festival, where I photographed Gotye, Kimbra and Calvin Harris.  This pretty much set the scene for my photography projects for the year. 

I had a garage sale which was a disaster, I made $160. 

I sold Cap’n Hank

Cara turned seven.

February

After a three day hospital stay for a kidney stone I felt it was time to restart my comedy career.    Helen came over from the UK for a few days.

March

A busy month I photographed Jurassic Lounge, Renbury Cats and some street fashion.   Having been unemployed for a while I tried to keep my Funeral Celebrant career off by visiting loads of funeral homes. 

I also started my short lived ‘extras’ career when I spent several hours sitting around and pretending to be a barrister.  It was an interesting experience to see just how long it take to make a TV program.

April
The day known for fools turned into a tragic day for me.  My darling Cara went missing when I went out without her for the first time in weeks.  A storm spooked her, someone picked her up and stole her.
I held my first Tupperware party as a demonstrator.

I started working at FaCS.

May

I found myself lacking a creative outlet so I picked up a crochet hook and some wool.  My first Granny square in about 10 years was a disaster, but it soon came flooding back.
I had seven comedy gigs this month.

I spent a weekend in Melbourne with Sally

June

I went to the theatre, I saw 'When Dad Married Fury'.  It was a lot of fun.

I photographed The Sydney Film Festival Hub and Renbury cats again.  Comedy was good with six gigs.

I started to learn how to play the recorder.

July

This month I learnt that trying to perform comedy on the anniversary of your mother’s death isn’t ideal.  It’s hard to get into ‘the zone’.

I fostered, then adopted FeFe.  After months of looking and several false alarms, my heart, still breaking for Cara, cried out for a Chihuahua companion.

August

A quiet month I volunteered for Oscar’s Law.

Jon visited for two and half days.

Jurassic Lounge started it’s winter season, I photographed it.

September

After being qualified for nearly a year, I finally got around to being a wedding celebrant. 

Agent interviews started again as my contract with FaCS drew to an end

I started studying for a Graduate Diploma in Counselling

October

I fostered Harry.  A Chihuahua/mini foxy that had been left for dead on the roadside.  He and FeFe got on so well, that he ended up getting himself adopted.  Silly boy!
It was my 40^th birthday.  I got two cards and one pressy.  To say it was underwhelming is an overstatement.

Unemployed, still.

November

I kept my head down after the disappointment of October.  I handed in my uni assignments, performed comedy and delivered Toastmasters speeches.

Went the theatre and saw ‘Sex with Strangers’ on 14^th.  Struggling financially as I have all year, I was unable to join everyone for dinner.

Started a three a week contract, because it was all I could get.

December

Photographed Goyte in Melbourne and Sydney.

Went to Perth for work.

Declared a pt 9 debt agreement, but still struggling financially because I’m only working three days a week.

Low on seasonal spirit and cash I've done nothing except walk the dogs the entire Christmas new year season.  forgive for being a tad Bah humbug.

Maybe 2013 will bring better times

Audition

I have 50 minutes to kill before leaving the office today. I may do some work in the time, but it’s more likely I’ll blog, read a story or two from the newspaper, but I’m most likely to try and learn my lines for the audition I’m about to attend.


Why am I going to an audition, you ask. Because I can, is my reply.

I may have mentioned this before but I’m not entirely satisfied with my current career progression. I think I know what I want to do and were I want to go, but in the mean time of making that happen I’m doing other stuff.

Can I cut it as a presenter on a TV channel dedicated to career development and work/life balance?

I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.

Welcome to WorksTV, I am your host, Jodie! [cue smile]

2011: Au revoir

I’m thankful for few things in 2011.

It’s been an all round shitty year that started with nearly eight weeks of unemployment with a scattering of tour bus trips. While these trips keep the wolf from the door, the black dog crept in through the side door and stayed around for the year. I’m still in the process of vacating him, but at least I’ve moved him stuff out onto the lawn.

Cara. A white dog. She came into my life in mid February and while she was supposed to be a temporary tenant, the little thing got under my skin and become a fully fledged member of the family when I officially adopted her in April. Who knew a one-eyed Chihuahua would have such a big character and influence on my life for the positive.

I learnt how to bake bread and wrote a book of recipes in memory of Muv

I expanded my experience in the photography of events. I worked at the Jurassic Lounge evenings at the Australian Museum and I got to take pictures at a music festival of a prominent Australian artist. These have been unpaid gigs, but very must who you know, rather that what. To those who’s. Thanks :-)

I commenced studying for a Certificate IV in Celebrancy in an attempt to take control of my life and working hours. I’m hoping to get out of the office environment in the next couple of years, so I’m grateful that I’ve been able to identify in myself, despite the need to repay debt, the need for more time at home.

Employment has been fairly consistent since early in the year. There was the mail order place, the construction firm, the government dept and the electricity provider. A bevy of varied contracts, that have offered me a variety of experiences, both good and bad, and a few good friends.

Thank you to my friends for being there when I needed you and still being there when I needed you to give me space (you know who you are, so I won’t name names).

All in all, 2011, I shall not be sad to see you go, but I shall remember the few things that have been good.

Goodbye 2011…bring on 2012, it can only get better.

2009 – A Year in Review

On reflection 2009 was a considerably better year for me than 2008. After all, I wasn’t forced to move, I wasn’t unemployed and no one died. I managed to wedge in some fun between the work days and a couple of momentous occasions. All in all, I think it went pretty well. Here was I thinking it was rubbish, that’s why it’s been so long since I posted anything.

January: Enrolled in a Masters of Education at UTS
Movies: Role Models, Underworld 3, Gran Torino, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
Places Visited:Sydney Wildlife World

February: Dropped out of Masters of Education at UTS, Started working back at the RTA and moved the Alpacas for the last time.
Movies: Slumdog Millionaire, Zack and Mira Make a Porno,
Places Visited: None

March: Walked in the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras in support of friends, went to a fancy dress party as Dolly Parton and added a new pussy cat to the family.
Movies: Watchmen
Placed Visited: None

April: Finally had a house warming party, one year and one month after moving in.
Movies: The Boat that Rocked
Placed Visited: None

May: Went to a Nutcracker ballet at the Sydney Opera House courtesy of a friend with a free ticket.
Movies: X-Men Origins:Wolverine, PS I Love You
Placed Visited: The Top Gear Australia studios to see a filming of a episode

June: Started a 14 weeks drive around NSW for work. Had a lovely long weekend in Ballina and Byron Bay, saw snow for the first time in 12 years and sent a birthday card to a dog
Movies: Terminator Salvation,
Placed Visited:Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Grafton, Ballina, Tamworth, Narrabri (split wine down my front), Dubbo, Bega, Cooma, Wagga Wagga, Narradera, Parkes, Orange, Yass, Goulburn, Broken Hill

July: Held my own minutes silence on the 4th, Attended and passed the St John First Aid course
Movies: Transformers: Revenge, Harry Potter 6, The Hangover, The Proposal,
Placed Visited: Wollongong,

August: I was burgled. Was told I had lovely, healthy white skin at the Skin Cancer Clinic, passed my Learners licence for Motorbike and started Yoga classes.
Movies: Inglorious Basterds
Placed Visited: Sydney Cricket Ground to see the Sydney Swans play Brisbane Lions

September: Filed for divorce, started seeing a personal trainer, attended a Stand-Up comedy course and delivered seven minutes of funny stuff in a comedy club
Movies: Funny People
Placed Visited: Mount Tomah Botanical Gardens, Warragamba Dam

October: Took my dream bike, a Triumph Bonneville 750 for a test drive, rode over 600kms to Molong in country NSW, , won a phot compition at work, started Photography and Meditation classes and started playing Farmville on Facebook
Movies: None
Placed Visited: Nambucca Heads, Coffs Harbour

November: Won $24 on the Melbourne Cup (exactly what I had staked), went down to Melbourne to see Dad who was over from the UK, saw sisters as well. My divorce was finalised on the 7th
Movies: A Christmas Carol, The Invention of Lying
Placed Visited: Emerald and Marysville, VIC

December: Went to South Africa for five days, had a lion attack my handbag, saw a clairvoyant and had my first ever paid article in a full colour magazine (Dec. Two Wheels)
Movies: None so far, but it's only the 14th
Placed Visited: Johannesburg

Here’s hoping 2010 is as good

2008 - A year in review

I've had one of those years that everyone has at some point in their life. My parent would say to me, 'if it doesn't kill you, it'll make you stronger.' when I had bad moments as a kid. You know the moments I'm talking about. Falling off your bike and flaying the right side of your face, your knee and knuckles. Falling out of a tree. Having the stick you're pretending is a cigerette jam into the back of your throut and giving you a nose bleed. Cutting your head open on the sight of an air rifle. At the time all of these things where the worst thing that could ever happen to me. And then this year happened. Every month has offered up a dossey and only a couple of months have given me something to counteract it (I highlighted those).

In early January a good friend took me along to her family's fortune teller. He was Vietnamese and didn't speak any other english apart from 'Hello' and 'Goodbye', but he managed to tell me (throught the translations of my friend) that as 2008 was 'Year of the Rat' and I was born in the year of the rat, I was either going to have a really great year, or a really bad year. He also told me I would travel, meet my soul mate, have bad health and if I had children I would have two.

I suppose I got a clue that it was it was going to be on the bad side of the coin when my Muv was finally diagnosed (after months of faffing) with lung cancer at the end of Jan. It pretty much went down hill for there.

Late Feb - evicted from my house when I asked for the leaking roof to be fixed.
Mid March - told my Muv was getting bad and moving back to the UK so she could be in a UK hospital
Late March - Moved house and depleted spare funds
Late March - Muv worse, get your arse back to the UK
Early April - First international travel, and a week in the UK, Muv sick, but seemed OK to return to Aus
Early May - Muv worse, get your arse back here ASAP
Mid May - Flat broke, trying to figure out how I was going to get back to the UK. Handed in notice for end of contract
Early June - House sold, booked flights
Mid June - Second International travel, flew to UK via a two day stop over in Seoul, Korea
Mid June - Spent 9 days with Muv, really bad, no hair and in hospice. Told her I wasn't going to the States, she told me and everyone who would listen I had to get on with my life and she wanted to see photos of New York and Washington DC.
Late June - Third international travel, went to America for two weeks
4th July - Muv Died, missed seeing photos by two days.
August - Failed to get job in UK due to economic downturn, despite 16 agent interviews
Early September - Flew back to Aus, missing Goyte in his London concert by four days
Mid September - Signed on at Centrelink
29th September - Graduated from Uni with a Masters Degree in Writing
September and October - Applied for over 150 jobs and attended more than 40 agent interviews, 6 job interviews
3rd November - Started new job that pays 30% less than previous job (only job on offer)
12th November - Fell on train and hurt hip, had to start using one crutch for support
28th November - Signed off work sick with Whooping cough (the plus side of bed rest meant that I could put the crutch away)
15th December - Laptop (Bigglesworth) died

I haven't got to the end of the year yet, but with an ophans Christmas dinner and a solo roadtrip (sleeping in the car on a futon matrtess, reading on the beaches of teh East coast:-) to the Gold Coast planned from 26th Dec - 7th Jan, It should end on a up note. After all, I really don't think it can get much worse.

I may or may not write another entry this year, depends on time and computer access (currently only have it during office hours due to Dead Biggles) so I'll say adieu until next year.

May you all Have a very Merry Christmas and a happy, healthy and joyous New Year.