Vanuatu.

I have 11 minutes let of internet time, and 2 minutes until Happy Hour begins - I'm seeing a problem here. All I have to say is - I am in paradise, and I'm loving every minute. Yesterday we hit the village for some shopping, and booked our tours for the next few days before kayaking and then dinner overlooking the ocean in the evening. Today was snorkeling over the reef at Hideaway Island, riding in a glass bottomed boat watching all the fishys and soon to be seated in the pool for another night of cocktails that pack a punch. Tomorrow we're off for a sunset cruise after we visit the waterfalls...and more cocktails by the pool, naturally. I love it here, every single minute of it. I never want to leave.

Byeeee!

It's 2.43am, and 31.6 degrees out - and I'm just guzzling an enormous coffee, zipping up my suitcase and fly, flying away.

See y'all in a week :)

Melting.

The car is telling me it's time to burst into flames. If I had three wishes right now, I think I'd bump off 'pony' from the top of the list and replace number one position with air conditioning in my house, closely followed by air conditioning in my car, and then perhaps an enormous chest freezer I can go and lay in.

Just....ugh.

The Countdown begins.

I fly off to Vanuatu in around 30 hours. 

Emotional eating kicked in around 12 hours ago.

My worry for leaving Sahara is slowly increasing to a rate of all sheer terror, but I think my complete, all consuming terror - complete with vomiting, crying and general unladylike things - will culminate at around the 3 hour mark.

Having said that, I'm super excited. Bring on a week of lounging by the pool sipping cocktails, snorkeling and general tropical-island-paradisey things. 

I never thought I'd be heading to a tropical resort where the weather will be at least 10 degrees cooler than where I live.

Down, and soon to go out. And away.

I've been feeling kind of down and out lately. There's so many things that I wish I could change about my life, but feel I have so little control over. As a result, I've been moody - which in turn, leads to bitchy - which then makes me feel more awful than I already did. Vicious circle much?

Friday night was a mixture of fabulous and frustrating. I drank too much, hung out with 2 of my absolute favorite people (and a whole lot of people I spent my time at high school trying to impress, whom I subsequently couldn't give two shits about) and made a fool out of myself with whipped cream and frozen margaritas in between picking fights about ridiculous things with Sugar Daddy.

Now, we're all aware I could sometimes be described as a drama queen. I like challenges, and I like feeling alive. I own it. But between trying to find somewhere to live with my brood of furry friends, attempting to be a good friend to my good buddy's problems, organizing somewhere for the dogs to stay while I fly off to Vanuatu (and finding the courage to tell my mother I am flying off to Vanuatu), I'm exhausted. I can't begin to explain how tired I am of searching the cereal packets for undetonated bombs, checking for hidden cameras in the DVD player and sleeping with one eye open with a sharpened ax by my bed, all because Chef is being uncharacteristically and disturbingly pleasant lately. And deep down, I know all these things are fixable. One day - and I hope and pray it is one day soon - things will fall into place. I will, inevitably, be fine; no matter what happens, I know I'm strong enough to deal with it.

And just as much as I'm aware that I get too involved with things I have no control over and up the drama a bit, I hate asking for help. It seems to be derived from not enjoying appearing weak. But this morning, all I wanted was for someone to cuddle me and tell me everything is going to be alright. And as a result, I pushed away anyone who was capable of doing that, just so I didn't appear to be that weak person I so deeply fear.

After several laps with Phoenix & Sahara today at the hydrotherapy pool, I'm feeling a whole lot more like the Katie we all know and slavishly adore. I'm ready to chuck on my Steve M's and hit the shops, and maybe even devour a few deep fried pineapple rings, two things guaranteed to make me feel better. And then maybe tonight I can get into the spirit of Australia Day, and spend tomorrow celebrating it and enjoying the fact that recently I've been far, far happier than I can recall for a very long time until yesterday. This time last year, I thought things were the best they ever could be. And now I know how wrong I was, and in the best possible way.

Oh yes. And maybe tonight I'll even start packing for my week away in Vanuatu.

Random happy snaps.

Boof standing guard over his watermelon, which he mangled all over the rug.

Best damn enchiladas. Ever.

Monday night sunset.

I have a thing for dipping sauces. And TGI's.

The horror that took up residence in my car. (To the people who don't know how big a Huntsman is: compare that, if you will, to the size of your fist. It is much, much bigger).

Being silly last night.

Cleo having a nap.

I curled my hair for the first time last night. Me liked it.

Speech.

The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned.

[Barack Obama]


I've read through the official inaugural address 4 times. It totally blew me away. One day, when I grow up, I want to be able to write like that.

Come fly with me...

...only 9 more sleeps to go.

Snakes alive.

Re: previous post - we watched the dancing, then discovered these.

They're all very good and well, until they come at you with their tongue out. Sssscary.

Strap solutions.

I'm running slightly late. Sarah & I are off to see a friend do a swing dance demonstration at the local Foreshore Festival. It's a gorgeous day, and I threw on my favorite old yellow dress when I got out the shower. Just as I was putting my (new, adorable) shoes on, I noticed my dress had one strap holding on by a mere thread, whilst the other one had gotten somehow mangled, and the buckle on the expandable strap had broken. Not being a very homely sort of girl, I'm unsure where my sewing kit is - although I believe I should get points for actually having one - and therefore attempted fixing both problems with superglue. Funnily enough, all I succeeded in doing was sticking my thumb and forefinger to a hair clip (how? why?) and thus I moved on to the genius plan of holding my strap together with one of those little twist tie things that come with freezer bags. Yep. Then arose the problem of the other strap. After much snuffling around in my jewelery box, I located a rather large nappy pin, and somehowpinned the other strap on. I can see it coming undone and becoming imbedded in my flesh half way through the dance class, but for now, I am gloating about my genius strap solutions.

My mother would be horrified.