OrganiSed Chaos

I fucking hate Christmas shopping.
Yet, I went shopping on Saturday morning.
What WAS I thinking?
Clearly, I wasn’t thinking I guess.
The next time I want to go shopping 4 weeks before Christmas? Someone slap me! Please!
I can never decide what’s the worst of the debacle at this time of year.
The screaming kids or the parents who insist on dragging them from one shop to another ad nauseum until the poor bloody kids are so tired and sick of it that they DO scream.
They drag them out of the house at some ungodly hour so that they can park as close as possible to the shopping centre entrance and the fun begins.
In and out of shops for hours on end regardless of the childs discomfort, needs or anything else.
The to add insult to injury at the end of all that, it’s time to sit on Santa’s knee.
Gee! I wonder why the kids is screaming the place down and refuses point blank to smile like the little angel we all know they can be?
They’ve been up since sparrow fart, carted from one end of town to the other.
They’re tired, they’re irritable.
They’ve has E.N.O.U.G.H
I love kids. I do. Please don’t get me wrong.
But they do have their place and Christmas shopping for hours on end from early morning till mid afternoon is NOT one of them.
FFS, leave the kids at home with Dad, or Nanny, or anyone, but don’t drag them from one end of town to the other and then yell at them when they get tired and cranky because they’re 4 hours past the time when they’re accustomed to peacefully sleeping in their air conditioned bedroom for a couple of hours.
The pic above is directed at the parents of these poor little mites, not the kids.
Here’s a thought.
Maybe you could teach them the REAL meaning of Christmas, which is NOT the presents you seem so intent upon accumulating and sending yourself to the poor house for?
You could at least do that with a book in the comfort of your home, so you won’t have to drag them out in the stinking hot NQ sun, and into a stuffy car for the 6 mile drive to wherever it is you’re going.
Morons!

I’m sitting here on Saturday morning, trying to kill a bit of time till the bank opens so I can go do a few little things.
Mark has gone to work and he’s left the TV on.
It’s on the news channel and I’m not really listening until some tree hugging, hairy armpitted, holier than thou environmentalist pops up with some {apparent} words of wisdom for keeping the planet green.
You know what this twit said?
“If you must use the clothes dryer, make sure your washing machine spins as much water as possible from the clothes before you put them in…”
You think??? Well shit, thanks for clearing that little question up, because here was me thinking of putting them in while they’re still dripping wet and hoping for the fricking best!!
The tone with which she said “If you MUST use the clothes dryer…”
FFS woman, it’s the wet season here in NQ and after 2 days of torrential rain with the promise of more for the rest of the week, I’m thinking I MUST if I don’t want to be wearing my knickers inside out for the coming working week.
I’m all for saving the planet, don’t get me wrong. I want my grandchildren to HAVE a planet, but if you MUST give advise, FFS state more than the bleeding obvious!
Tree hugging, hairy armpitted, holier than thou environmentalists!
Can’t stand them, can’t kill them!

I’ve never been an E Bay fan.
The place normally drives me nuts. Too much happening, too may people. I hate ALL crowds, even virtual ones. Being close to Christmas just makes it worse too. Every bastard and his dog is shopping! Sheesh!
However….
I needed to go on a mission. A special friend wanted a special present and I couldn’t find what I wanted anywhere at what I considered a reasonable price.
Hmm. This isn’t good. What to do now?
Ok. Bit the bullet. Took the dreaded step.
Yes, I joined E Bay!!

:shock:
Once I’m there, off to find what I want.
Found one. Goodo!
Put the bid in.
All is well. I’m in the lead.
Looking good!!!
Nope! Some bastard wanted it more than me. Fine shit for brains! Fucking have it!!!
Having said that i was pretty pissy about it. Never mind! The eternal optimist, I’ll find another one!
Sure enough, I found THE thing I wanted. Perfect!! Just perfect I tell you!
Right says I. I’ll have this one.
Different tactics this time. Sit back and wait I tell myself. Wait and see what the “others” do!! That’s the ticket!!
So wait I did. Until last night when there was only an hour left.
A bit of luck! Not another person who had bid was online. The little screens tell you which bidders are online. Bonus!!
Waiting, waiting…waiting some more!!
Sitting in the corner, very quietly. Like creeping Jesus I was. Stalking the item, peeking around corners, ducking into the shadows if anyone came near me!! VERRRRRRRRY sneaky!!
With 10 mins to go I pounced!!!! Put in my near to maximum bid and ducked back into the shadows before anyone spotted me. I was like the Scarlet fucking Pimpernel I tell you!
Then the fun began.
Have tea.
Laptop in lap.
Bidding page up.
Refreshing every 20 secs.
Squirming in the chair.
Still in the lead with 9 minutes to go!!
Refresh.
Shit, some johnny come fucking lately has decided to lurk! S.O.B!! Get out of it!! It’s mine…MINE I TELL YOU!!! Don’t even think about it you prick!!
Refresh.
Phew! He decided the game was a little rich. Just as well mate!! I’ve got your bloody measure anwyay. Don’t fuck with me or you’ll come off second best!!!
He took the hint. Wise man..woman??? Who knows?? Who cares???
Refresh again.
Aforementioned lurker has helped kill off 6 mins. Only 4 to go!!
Breaking out in sweat here.
Sucking on tea.
Refreshing like a manic first day blogger waiting on their first comment I was!!
Sweat dribbling down the back of my neck by now.
90 seconds!
60!
30!
YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s mine!!
All mine!!!
SUCCESS!! I AM THE CHAMPION!! NOONE CAN STOP ME NOW!!!
Wiped my brow. Towelled the back of my neck.
Swallowed the last of my tea.
Phew!!
Fucking exhausted!!!!
Who knew bidding for an item on fucking E BAy could cause an adrnalin rush like that???

Now I’m spending more time there than on my blog, and we all know how much time I spend HERE right???
Anyone know of a 10 step program I can join to kick E Bay??
I could get SERIOUSLY addicted to this bidding online people, JUST for the rush!
Someone tell Mark to keep the credit card locked up for eveybody’s sake!!
Please???

I tend to become particularly reflective around Christmas.
I don’t know why. Maybe it’s that the end of the year is approaching and I’m looking back with perhaps a frown, or a smile.
This in turn ordinarily leads me to the Christmas’s of my childhood.
It’s just something I’ve always done.
I digress. My apologies.
When I was a little girl one of my favourite sayings was “I wish…..” followed by whatever current dream/hope/want was running rampant through my fanciful little head.
My mothers response, every time, was “If wishes were horses, beggars would ride” accompanied by a smile.
At that time, only being little, the actual meaning behind her repsonse was lost on me.
In my innocence, before life dished up some harsh lessons, I seriously believed these wishes would come true.
These days, as an older and more street wise adult, I don’t so much wish, as hope.
I believe with every fibre of my being that to give up on hope is to throw in the towel on life.
I refuse point blank to do that. Ever.
Sure, life gets to me now and then, I’ll admit that. Yet even through those times, I still carry hope inside me. I may not speak of it, but make no mistake, it’s there.
I can almost see it inside me, if that makes sense?
When I visualise hope, it’s bright and shining like a beacon.
When shadows threaten to blot it out, there is a glimmer which continues to peep through, just in the corner.
It’s that little glimmer keeps me going through the darkness.
Almost seems to guide me through to the other side of whatever troubles me.
Just a tiny spark that tells me everything will work out for the best even if I don’t understand why what’s happening, is happening {Which is quite often I might add}
It’s warm, fuzzy, but most of all it’s comforting.
I’ve always found it strange how a feeling such as hope can generate such comfort inside.
If I had to verbalise it as a taste, it would be sugar.
Maybe it’s the sweet taste that makes me hang onto hope so tight?

Given there is only a month left till Christmas, I though it was time to unveil my seasonal theme.
I decided when I started blogging that I would create just one tradition, and that was to have a Christmas theme each year. Nothing like tradition is there?
I almost went with the one I had my first year, then thought, NO!, I want a different one.
This wasn’t my first choice, however the other one gave me some grief over the last week, and eventually I gave up and found this one.
To comment, you need to click the little red snowflake beside the post title. Had me flummoxed for a small while until realised the number in that snowflake is the amount of comments on each post.
Tricky huh???
I love the colours on this one, and the layout, even thought it only has 1 sidebar and I prefer 2. We can’t have everything we want though I guess *shrug* Shit happens.
So. Enjoy, look around, and above all, let me know what you think of my choice this year.

Could you all do me a favour and please change the URL for my link if you haven’t already? And the blog name too would be good.
I know some of you have done it, and I thank you.
To everyone else, I thank you in advance
:wink: