OrganiSed Chaos » life

Someone should have warned me

anonymum — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:48:57 +0000

Life doesn’t come with an instruction manual.
You go along, day after day, doing the best you can and making the most of what you have.
I have no desire to know the future be it good, bad or otherwise, but there are a few little snippets I would have been happy to know about, before they happened.
So I could have been prepared, if you know what I mean?
Here are a few of them.
Grey pubic hairs!
FFS, the cultural shock of finding one is an experience I would have been more than happy to pass on!
After 45 no matter how hard you try not to, you are going to put on weight.
Ok, it may not be a lot, but it’s still there!
Begone you foul beast!!! If you keep this up, my arse will need a post code all of it’s own!!
Your tolerance level for arse hats, fuck wits and morons hits lower than rock bottom.
Whilst some see this as a good thing, there are others, like me, who already had a low tolerance level for the aforementioned species of people, so I’m a little concerned about the results should it go any lower!
Whilst controlling my bladder has never been an issue for me, it seems in the last few years it’s capacity has lessened.
What other explanation is there for the 2 trips to the loo throughout the night, even when I don’t drink anything in the 2 hours before I retire?
Getting out of a comfortable lounge chair becomes a challenge as big as scaling a freaking mountain.
It seems as if every bone in your body is protesting at the monumental request you’ve made, and it’s not letting you know about said protest in a non confrontational manner.
The need to have lists for everything from shopping to what you need to do on any particular day.
I’m dreading the night I feel the need to put a note next to my bed in order to be reminded I have to go to work in the morning.
Nightmare scenario that one is!!
These are merely a few of the things my late 40’s and early 50’s have bought quite unexpectedly.
There are many, many more, but I though it only polite to leave some for others who are brave enough to let us know their little unexpected surprises as they move towards being older.
Please note I said older, NOT old!
Your turn….

Achieve

anonymum — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:02:56 +0000

Throughout the year, Kelly has done To do lists.
As each item on the list is completed, she goes back and crosses it off.
I’ve always thought it a great idea because it gives a person not only some purpose, but things to aspire to.
On New Years Day, Kel did another one.
You’ll find it here.
At the bottom of that post, there is a line that grabbed me.

Feel free to write your own list. If you do, please be sure to let me know. Who knows, if there are enough of us I may devote a page to it and get a webring/blogroll happening for it…

Sounded like a good idea to me, so I thought I’d give it a go and do my own list.
Like Kel, these are not resolutions because I don’t do them, so I’ll say “these are the things I want to achieve this year”
None of them are impossible or unrealistic, so there is no reason I can’t do them either.
{A couple of them are the same, but then we are mother and daughter so it’s not that surprising, and these are in no particular order}

not

badly

Certainly not lofty ambitions, nor are there a lot of them, but they’re more than enough of a challenge to keep me occupied throughout the year.
If you want to play along, feel free, and if you let Kelly know that would be a bonus.
For now, I’m off to check out what TAFE have on offer in the culinary skills department.

Our inner child

anonymum — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 09:15:16 +0000

Someone made mention of their inner child recently.
Given the time of year, I thought it would be a good idea to explore the things our inner child could do during the festive season.
Who knows, you may find yourself actually enjoying the season rather than dreading it.
These are but a few of the activities which occurred to me.
Go look at the Christmas lights.
Not only is it free, but it will make the adult in you glad you don’t do it because you don’t have to pay the power bill.
Get a body board and head to the beach for some fun in the surf.
There is nothing makes you feel better than tumbling through the surf then screaming like a little kid when you get dumped.
Perchance you have snow, get a toboggan or sled and find the biggest hill you can, then throw caution to the wind and fly down it like the 7 devils are after you.
I’m sure you did it as a kid, why not now?
Eat the decorations off the tree when noone is looking, then deny, deny, deny!
It’s such fun.
The worst that can happen is you get busted and grounded, so then you don’t have to go to work. Bonus!
All the more time to work on those edible hangy thingies on the tree anyway!
String popcorn for the tree.
This was one of my favourite things to do when I was a kid.
Nothing has changed, I still love doing it.
Get a tin whistle then run up and down the street blowing it.
Go to the movies and spend the entire time giggling at the teenagers swapping spit in the back row.
Find a slide then go down it as many times as you can in the shortest possible time.
Play on a seesaw while you’re at it.
Go buy a yoyo and see if you can still walk the dog.
Preferably one of those crappy plastic ones you get in junk stockings.
Get a hula hoop and give it a go.
It will be a damned good cardio vascular work out at the same time!
Wander around the streets after the stores close and look at their displays.
Some of them are brilliant, and damned well done.
There are a million and one things you would do at Christmas when you were a kid, so why not now?
I guess my point is this.
Forget about the responsibility and hassles of Christmas and do what kids do best.
Embrace it, enjoy it and make the most of it.
Just for one day.
Try and see it through the eyes of a child.
Who knows, maybe it will hep you see things a little differently?
What did you used to do as a kid?

Relentless pursuit

anonymum — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 12:11:45 +0000

As Christmas approaches with startling speed, a thought occurs to me.
Time pursues us all.
It seems intent upon having it’s way with us, and generally does.
At not one point in our lives are we free of this relentless pursuit.
From when we’re babies and time dictates when we eat, sleep and play, it continues through our entire existence.
It seems as if I blinked since doing a post on Monday, and here it is Wednesday night, already.
2 days.
Gone.
Yes, I’ve achieved an enormous amount at work because it’s needed to be done, and that’s what I’m paid to do.
In the wake of that, what about the emails that remain unanswered, the posts done by others that I’ve been remiss in commenting on, unanswered text messages, the cooking I wanted to do, the swim I wanted to have?
None of the things that matter to me have been achieved because time is my enemy.
And an enemy it is.
It flies by, we get older by the minute, and life is moving at a pace that is quite bewildering.
None of us have the time we want to do the things we want because we’re so busy making a living, we seem short of the time required to have a life.
What’s to be gained by working so hard if the time it takes is responsible for the weariness that seems to permeate every single fibre of my being and makes it an effort to do anything else?
It takes me away from those I care most about, makes me short tempered and cranky.
My concern is time having the better of me and I won’t have achieved a half of what I want to this week, let alone in my life.
Some would say it’s bad time management as opposed to anything else, but I would beg to differ.
I’m bloody well organised.
I clean the shower before I get out of a morning, make lunches as I prepare breakfasts, do dishes as we use them, run a quick broom over the floor every morning to save time on weekends, plan ahead, yet still I feel as if I’m in the middle of en endless circle that makes me dizzier by the minute.
{Seemingly} yesterday we were planning a trip overseas, and yet daily we speak of the trip to come in less time than a human gestational period.
Time, time, time.
Everything we do is dictated by time, almost every sentence has that word in it.
Time.
It pursues us relentlessly.
It never ends does it?

Persistence

anonymum — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 10:43:07 +0000

There are times in everybody’s life, when life itself becomes too much.
The effort to get out of bed and face another day is a task bigger than Mt Everest.
Much is happening in our lives at the moment, and it’s neither good, nor rosy, and it’s not even comfortable.
Yet, in true human spirit, I persist, and continue to get out of bed, every single day.
Day.
After.
Day.
We do what we must in order to make something of our lives, just to survive, do we not?
I’ve had many hard knocks in my life, some worse than others obviously, but none of what I speak of were easy at the time.
Still, I survived.
It’s what we do.
Human nature, being what it is, ensures our survival instinct is the strongest of all, no matter how low our mood, or the events happening at any given point in time.
Our instinct to survive in the face of adversity or whatever troubles us, is so strong, it sustains us through any dark tunnel we find ourselves in, and more often than not, gives us a far better appreciation of the good times when we manage to find the sunshine.
In the absence of darkness, how does one see what the light has to offer?
The old adage of what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger is 150% accurate.
I’ve always needed to be strong, for many reasons and for many people, and ordinarily I bounce back quickly.
I just don’t stay down for long.
Not seriously anyway.
Resilience is a wonderful thing and stands me in good stead most of the time.
Having said that, the days when I need to make an effort are, seemingly, becoming more frequent.
Of late I find it difficult getting my head to a place where I can dismiss the crap as beatable {is that even a word??}
Maybe I’m getting old, or I’m simply tired of adversity and problems?
Perhaps I’m over having to be strong?
Most days it seems like 2 steps forward and 1 step back.
Yet, I persist.
It’s just what we do…..

The error of my ways

anonymum — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:59:04 +0000

Of late I’ve had some interesting situations at work, to say the least.
I’m a manager.
This, naturally, involves staff who report to me.
As it transpires, the staff in question have several “issues” with me.
These are many and varied, and some are the usual issues most of us have with their boss, but others have been quite bemusing.
One of the various grievances aired in recent days is the tone I use when I ask them to do something.
Please note I said ASK, not tell.
I don’t like being TOLD to do anything, thus I refuse to tell anyone else, so if I need something done, I ask.
Now, my interpretation of a manager is someone who does what needs to be done in order to do their job, picks up the slack should we have someone out sick or on leave, is first in, last out, and if needs be, delegates what would be considered smaller, less important tasks to others when pressed for time.
I’ve been working this way for well over 10 years, and until now it’s always worked, for myself and my staff.
How lucky am I, to now have people who are willing to point out where I’ve been going wrong???
It seems these are the errors of my ways.
I need to speak in a tone that is not short, demeaning, intimidating, nor am I to sound as if I’m becoming impatient should I need to ask for something to be done more than once before it happens.
Quote “We’ll get to it when we have time…”
Apparently I should use a more “gentle” tone.
Under no circumstances am I to take any notice of when they come and go from the office, how long they take for lunch, nor query what they do with their time.
Seems they know what their jobs and times are, and I should be content these things happen as a matter of course.
Having said that, what prompted this raft of grievances was me voicing my dissatisfaction over an incident where one of them stood in the store talking to a former staff member for 40 minutes, so you could forgive me for not taking any comfort in their assurances I have no need to take note of their times.
The best is yet to come however.
I was given a list, yes a list, of the things they think need to happen, in order to make the workplace a warm, fuzzy place.
This list included, but was not limited to, supplying morning tea once or twice a week, where they can down tools and take around 45 mins to an hour, so we could have a group session and air our problems.
I should give them a copy of my job description so as they have a better understanding of why there are times I need to work on weekends. Surely my job can’t be that difficult? {I need to add here, my job description runs to 28 pages!!! You could forgive me for saying it’s something of a complicated position. Please?}
I should let them know where I’m going, what I’m doing and when I’ll be back, should I ever have need to leave the office, because they need to know in case someone rings for me.
There were other little bits and pieces, mainly relating to me, basically, not managing them in any way, shape or form, because {apparently} they know exactly what they need to do, and feel they’ve been there long enough that they should be allowed that freedom.
I shit you not.
This has been my week, and people wonder why I drink?
Wonder no more my friends.
Wonder. no. fucking. more!

Beginnings

anonymum — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 12:59:04 +0000

Finally they say!
At long last, she speaks!!
Please know I’ve started, and deleted, 15 posts before this came to being.
I shit you not my friends.
15!
There is so much my mind is trying to process still, and I’m struggling badly to instill some semblance of normality to life since we’ve been home, that I’m all over the place!
Eventually, I thought the beginning would be the best starting point.
I can hear you all now.
Well DUH Maureen!!!
So.
We got to Sydney fine {even though it cost us 160.00 in excess luggage} had dinner with Kelly {best lasagna you could ask for} and spent the night at blondie’s place, where we had a brilliant time, and I might add, a brilliant brekky.
Our long suffering husbands spent most of their time shaking their heads, and her kids will never be the same again, but we had a good time didn’t we honey??

So far so good.
Got to the airport fine {for which I thank the aforementioned blondie enormously} had a coffee, managed to check in, found duty free shopping {yes Tasha, I know how jealous you are my sweet!} traversed customs without any drama, and into the boarding lounge.
Mark did have an interesting experience with a coffee that had a badly fitting lid, and he had a white shirt on, so we should probably gloss over that do you think?
Onto the plane, which was our first pleasant surprise of the trip.
Roomy, comfortable, and wonderfully bright, cheerful on board staff.
Take off was smooth {not without butterflies, given my aversion to flying} and we were away.
After what seemed like hours I asked Mark the time, to be told it was only 30 mins after take off.
Hmmm. Who gets the idea here that it was going to be a looooooooooong flight for yours truly???
Our next surprise was the in flight food.
Talk about gourmet meals.
Damn they were good {yes Tasha, again I know just how jealous you are!}
I’m not normally big on airline food, but this was great.
Managed to get around 5 or 6 hours sleep, so that was a good thing, and I did it without drugs, of which I am enormously proud let me add.
Not one pill and not one drink.
A nicotine patch, yes, but that was it.
Fast forward to 4.30pm Friday July 17th when we touched down in LA.
Quite off putting knowing we arrived 3 1/2 hours before we left I must say.
Bizarre to say the least.
Our next surprise was immigration.
Quick, efficient and friendly. Not one of the horror stories we’d been told came to pass, for which we are eternally grateful btw!
Fingerprints done, retina scan done, passports stamped, and onto the next step, collecting our luggage.
Waiting an hour and a half for our luggage was a bit if a shit, but we were in high spirits, so there wasn’t a lot of bitching.
Well, maybe a little.
Eventually got our hands on all of our luggage, so it was onto customs.
This is the part I was dreading the most.
The horror stories we’d been peppered with before departure had me somewhat antsy, and I had extracted from Mark 1000 promises he would behave.
I can tell you after he saw the way these people are armed, there was little chance of him being anything less than straight faced.
They had more fire power in that airport than I’ve ever seen in one place.
Americans take homeland security very seriously it seems, and I guess with good reason, given history.
So, up we rock to the desk.
Customs, with a smile {indicating the didg} “Strangest looking pillow I’ve ever seen”
Me “Yeah, it’s bloody hard too!!”
Cursory glance at our declaration cards and passports.
Customs “You’re right, welcome to the United States. Enjoy your holiday”
Me {looking like a stunned mullet} “That’s it?”
Customs “Yep! Have a great time!”
Not needing to be told twice we headed off, quite buoyed by the thought we were actually IN America.
LAX isn’t really as bad as people say.
We had no trouble finding our way through to the outside world, where we promptly removed the patches, lit a smoke and made our first phone call.
First one was to Annie.
I got the impression she’d been waiting with bated breathe when she answered with “Is it you????”
After confirming it was indeed me and that we had our feet firmly planted on American soil, I then promptly had my eardrum pierced.
Well, close to it anyway.
The scream that came through the ear piece was rather loud and excited.
It’s fine hon, we have great ear, nose and throat people here in Oz.
I’m sure they can find the hearing in my right ear for me.

Our next call was to ~m’s place, where the phone was answered by Pam.
Her excitement was also evident, but fortunately she didn’t take my eardrum out.
Michael was out working but she promised to let him know we had arrived safely and on time.
Having said that, she had been checking on the net to make sure we landed ok, so the Murphy house was pretty much keeping up with where we were at.
I’ll leave it here for now, but be assured, this was not the end of the beginning.
Stay tuned for posts about the meet and greets where you will find some fascinating stuff, such as Maureen being lifted {literally} off the ground by something other than a plane, many, many tears and some quite unexpected, unsettling events.
All will be revealed in time people.
I promise.

Welcome Home

michaelm — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:39:40 +0000

Miss you guys already.
Glad you’re finally DownUnder . . .
Just dipped my finger into the Vegemite jar you so graciously left behind.
YumYum, Pigs Bum . . .
Welcome home.
{{{hugs}}}
~m & p

Please don’t be sad

anonymum — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 20:30:03 +0000

This was written and scheduled on Friday afternoon {Boston time} and it’s a very special thank you post, for some very special people.
People who we always knew would affect our lives in ways that would be nothing less than magical.
It wasn’t an expectation, we just knew what it would be like.
People who about an hour before this published, we cried like babies with, because it was time for us to leave.
We will have clung to each other as if we were drowning, not wanting to let go, yet knowing we had to.
Life, and reality, call. As do responsibilities, commitment, and that most precious of all things. Family.
They all speak to us in the same way they do to every adult person alive.
Loudly and insistently.
They cannot be ignored can they?
Michael and Pamela.
Mark and I thank you deeply for the privilege you afforded us this past week.
We thank you for allowing us into your life and your home, but mostly we thank you for taking us into your hearts.
You took in 2 people who were essentially, strangers, and let us stay with you as you would have people you’ve known your whole lives.
I cannot begin to tell you what that meant to us.
If I wrote 10 million words, it wouldn’t come close.
Please know, if ever you come to Australia, our home is your home.
For as long as you wish.
Like us, you do not admit people to your lives easily, so we fully understand how big a thing this was for you to do, and we appreciate it more than you will ever know.
Pam, I’m smiling because I just know you’re smiling as you read this, albeit with tears still.
{and you have your living room back and you can see your hope chest again!!}
Your endless patience and willingness to accept 2 crazy Australians into your home has astounded us.

Sarah, Jenna and Hannah.
To the 3 of we also say thank you for the welcome you gave us.
The patience you exhibited when we 4 old farts were sitting up late at night talking and drinking and laughing and drinking and generally behaving like maniacs was appreciated immensely.
Your father has never spoken of you all in anything less than glowing terms, and now we know why.
All of you are as special as the parents who created you.
Sarah, keep at your studies and you can become anything you want to be. With Jon by your side and your family behind you, there is little you cannot face, regardless of what it may be.
Jenna, keep dancing to the beat of your own drum. It’s what makes you the remarkable individual that you are, and one I’m enormously proud to know.
Hannah.
Our very own little tour guide.
What would we have done without you honey?
You made us laugh, you spent more time with us than you did with your parents, and lit every last one of days for us in ways we never expected.
You were an absolute delight to spend time with.
Please try hard not to trip in your journey through life though.
You trip on everything else, and that’s more than enough for me !!!
Sheesh!!

Mark will miss his little buddy badly, I know. He won’t have anyone to play with now.
Please know we will miss you more than it’s possible to describe, for so many reasons.
I also thank the 3 of you for being so willing to share your parents in the most unselfish way possible.
After all, it was your holiday as well.

We enjoyed our time with the 5 of you enormously, and will be counting the days till we can do it all again.
Please don’t be sad that we’re gone.
Look forward to the day we return, because we will return.
Make no mistake about that.
We love all of you to bits and just wanted to let you know
Love
Moe and Mark

So much to say, and no idea where to start!

anonymum — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 14:27:00 +0000

As I type, I am currently sitting on the back deck at Michael and Pamela’s place.
The sun is shining, the birds are singing and life is damned good let me tell you.
I have so much in my head it’s hard to process it all.
I will begin by saying we had the best week a person could ask for at Cape Cod. Some rain on one or two nights, but let me say, nothing brings people together more than sitting huddled under an umbrella to have a smoke.
Brings you close if nothing else!

Having said that, we had some brilliant nights around the fire pit too.
Many things were spoken of, much bourbon, beer and good Aussie rum were consumed, and friendships that will stand the test of time, were forged.
I guess the easiest thing to do at this point is try and summarise and highlight, just so you have some idea of why we’re all been so damned quiet and where we’ve been.
Firstly, the internet connection was slower than a fucking wet week, and we decided after spending hours trying to make it workable, that we would simply need to do without it.
Mobile service was, at best, intermittent.
Next time we come over {probably next year} I’ll be shopping around for a better provider I can assure you!
Brilliant food, just brilliant! Every word you hear about New England seafood is 100% accurate.
I am officially hooked on cheeseburgers and pink lemonade.
If I keep eating them the way I have been, I’ll need an extra seat for my fat arse to get home! I shit you not.
I can still feel the tears running down my face, and the pain in my stomach from laughing so much.
Snort and stamp is all I’m saying about that one!

Don’t ever let anyone tell you Americans are anything less than friendly, helpful and more courteous than you can ever imagine.
If you come across a loud, brash American as we sometimes do in Australia, please know they’re not all like that.
I say this from first hand experience. They are wonderful, wonderful people.
Fenway Park! Good God, what can I say to describe the feeling of standing outside the home of the Red Sox?
That’s just going to get better because tonight we go to a ball game!
Can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The people we’ve met.
That’s another subject I will struggle to verbalise.
These are people who are so damned real it’s just beyond comprehension.
Given the way we came together, it seriously defies any logic that comes to mind.
There will be much more about them at a later date, but for now, suffice to say they are people we could spend an inordinate amount of time with.
Geography will mean little, however that’s always been the case I think.
This trip simply reinforced that fact.
I had a feeling it would comfortable, and it was. Still is actually.
Christmas in July.
Another subject there will be more about, but know that for many reasons, it was a Christmas that will never be forgotten.
Not ever.
There was almost one disaster, however it was narrowly averted when the missing luggage was delivered by a courier on the Monday night.
Quite the experience let me say, and one I am NOT inclined to repeat at any time soon.
There was only one irreplaceable thing the airlines could have lost, and can you guess which one they lost?
No prizes for the correct answer there!
Waiting an hour and a half for luggage at LAX is not something I’m in any hurry to repeat either.
Having said that, the horror stories we heard about US customs did not come to pass, and it took us all of 25 seconds to clear them, so that more than made up for the luggage.
Handling the Evyl one’s smalls, having the same person drop their jeans to model said smalls, one liners flying thick and fast around the table, enormous amounts of bourbon, plus the table and deck of knowledge will all be the subjects of future posts, I promise.
Mannequins with the biggest tits I’ve ever seen, the disorientation of driving down the wrong side of the road, stores that seemed to have come from the last century, just so many things to say, and still clueless on where to start!
I will tell you I’m more relaxed than I ever thought I could be, and I’m not the slightest bit homesick.
There’s a statement that will scare the bejesus out of some daughters we know!
For now however, I need to be gone.
Much to do, even more to see, and only another 5 1/2 days to do it in, so I need to move my cheeseburger and pink lemonade enhanced arse.
There will be another couple of posts before we come home people, and before one person asks, yes, there will be pics!
Would we do this again?
Hells yeah!!