planning

It seems pointless to keep logging onto my blog and chastising myself for never blogging, so instead, I'll get straight into it for 2009.

So, some plans for 2009 (it's how you best make God laugh right, tell Him your plans?)

More exercise for exercise's sake
Become friends with Tony Ferguson again (three months before wedding)
Get married
Enjoy 12 twelve days on Hayman Island and in Port Douglas with new husband!
Lots of Super 14 rugby matches
Loosen grip on cleaning just a touch more, but no too much, as it is my enjoyable right to have a tidy house
Become more tolerant of idiocy
Read more books - both non and fiction.
Laugh more
Maybe cry more, though I'm going to think further about how this works
Make some sort of positive movements in my career
Bake more (while eating less?!)

I've enjoyed 2009 so far.

It's involved a lot of sun & beach, including a new found gem, Chinaman's Beach, just around the corner from the Spit and Mosman. Secluded and not too busy (at least on a Monday!)

We spent 6 hours watching Aus vs South Africa at the cricket in Sydney this week. The epitome of summer as far as I am concerned. Sadly, even the SA captain batting with a broken hand and inflamed elbow, in a last ditch attempt to win the match, was inspiring, but not enough to win. I would like to say I will work on become more 'Australian' this year, but I officially refuse to do this until I have lived in Australia for longer than I have lived in NZ. 6 years to go.

What else? I've also enjoyed reading a fantastic book which I just finished (good progress made as per above plans), written by an Australian who moved to Italy, a small town on the heel of the boot, for his love. While the book isn't filled with romance, the love Chris (or in Italian, Crris) finds for a country is wonderful to watch unfold. His capacity to love and hate a country, which even the Italians love to hate themselves, is great. The difference between Italy and Australia is huge. Chris talks about how himself, and other Italian authors, believe most people 'visit' Italy in summer, on vacation, and in truth see a sparkly version of the country, not the 'real' version - where government means corruption, where no one obeys the laws of the country (ie driving, tax etc) but they will obey superstitious laws (ie Italians do not marry on Tuesdays or Fridays), where its not what you know or what forms you've filled out but who you know, where siesta means even the airport officials and local police are 'unavailable'.

Interestingly, Chris realises that Italy has an undefinable 'mystic' about it, which means when you leave, you truly miss something though you're not sure what, even though you spend most of your time cursing it, with the local Italians. This means that Chris no longer feels at home in Australia where his friends and family have a different way of life, or at home entirely in Italy, where he is not a local by heart.

I spent my last three days of holidays practising some of the Italian way, including dinner as late as I could handle it (8pm) and cooking with as much fresh ingredients as I could ... and enjoying an attitude of summer holidaying that Chris enjoyed. It was a fun take on life!

So, there is my book report. It's called Head over Heel if you're interested, by Chris Harrison (pronounced arrison, because the 'H' in the Italian alphabet is not pronounced, or missing in some cases apparently)

And, for those of you keenly interested in all wedding details (Bethany!), we have a cake plan! Sam's sister Emma is going to make us a two tiered cake, fruit cake on the bottom, and hopefully if it works, a special flavour Emma makes: craisins, cherries, almonds and white chocolate chips for the top tier in a vanilla style cake. Funky white textured icing and fresh flowers.