NYC.....what is it about you?

This first week has nearly flown by but at the same time has not felt rushed at all - which is exactly what I wanted. Like any holiday or break you take it can take a day or so to unwind from the stresses of normal life and just relax....

My first full day I decided to just walk around and reacquaint myself with the city I have long held a love affair with. I was not wanting to push my way way through the hustle and bustle of tourists in Time Square (there is nothing fun or relaxing about that) so I decided that heading downtown to the Village (Greenwich Village) was exactly what I needed. Staying on 27th St it was a pleasant walk taking me through a variety of neighbourhoods as I meandered my way down. It was feeling really good to be back, as if I had never left. I finally arrived at Washington Square and perching on a bench opposite the fountain I was reminded of the lyric from Sweet Charity...

'Run to the Bronx or Washington Square, no matter where I run, I meet myself there....'

and in this moment it was very true. I sat and all the thoughts I had been trying to block out, trying to stop overwhelming me, came rushing in, as by stopping I had opened the door for them. No matter where you go you can't escape your problems and worries. Not that I was trying to do that by coming here. Coming to NYC was to remove myself from everything and just take a time out and try and get some perspective. So I decided while sitting on that bench that I was not going to be sad for my trip, I was not going to let things get me down nor would I ignore them, but in that moment I decided I was just going to enjoy being in this city, being on a holiday....just being. Taking in everything around me, relaxing and then seeing what happens at the end. So I stood up, walked out of Washington Square taking the first steps on my new journey.....

New York state of mind....

So I am off to NYC. It’s been 2 years since my last visit and, quite honestly, I can’t wait to get back. Back to the ‘Big Apple’...

My sojourns to the ‘city that never sleeps’, thus far, have been crammed packed with holiday fun – Broadway shows, shopping, Broadway shows, tourist attractions, Broadway shows…you get the picture. But this time it’s something else that leads me there. It’s time for a little soul searching…

Life has a way of throwing curve balls when you least expect it and this last year or so I have been hit with a few, well I have been dodging them, but finally they caught up with me and all at once it seems. When that many balls hit you, sometimes it’s very difficult to just get back up. This is one of those times. So I finally decided it was time for me to take a time out for myself. To do some self-healing and work out what the next path will be on my life journey. Where I want to be. How can I get back to being ‘me’, which at the moment, feels like some far off distant person that I can see but not quite make out. So where do you go to escape the world, where you can get lost in the hustle and bustle yet also find places to be on your own? Somewhere that feels familiar and fills a void…well for me it’s New York City.

So unlike my previous trips, where I have given a day to day account of all my exciting adventures, this blog will be different. I don’t know what I am going to do and what’s going to happen. I am just going to wake up each day and see where it takes me. Hopefully to a place of some clarity. Hopefully to a bar with some great cocktails. My bags are packed and I am ready to go…I think it’s time to spend a couple of weeks living the Carrie Bradshaw fantasy. I will try to share what I can. See you on the other side….

'and once the storm is over....'

Pisces - an interesting look!

I will admit that I am pretty much a 'text book' Piscean, Most creditable things you read about Pisces can pretty much be applied to me...I also happen to be an avid Twitter follower and I have recently come across a particular profile that give 'handy' advice to and about Pisces, so I have collected a selection of the more interesting and amusing ones for your viewing pleasure. Whether they be true or not is your guess....

#Pisces love waking up to their favourite lover in the morning.

#Pisces like a little pain with their pleasure.

#Pisces is an artist and a dreamer.

#Pisces are the ones who would die for their love if need be. They are the romantic tragedy.

A #Pisces female is likely to be dearly loved by anyone she befriends or even works with.

#Pisces is a loving, caring and inspirational mate.

#Pisces enjoy making deep, intimate, emotional connections. That is water for their soul.

#Pisces like to help other people especially those who need a friend or are lonely.

Wealth does not draw the attention of a #Pisces because they are not greedy.

The #Pisces can’t help but feel with their whole heart.

#Pisces love to be dominated.

#Pisces women want a man who dominates her,  who leads and is strong.    

#Pisces need to follow a good example otherwise they fall into disorder.

Don’t get upset if your #Pisces date acts like they love everyone. It’s not true in a sexual way, 

it’s just their nature to love everything.

In bed a #Pisces pleasure can come from fulfilling their partners desire.

#Pisces wants the kind of sex that drips with passion.

#Pisces lead with their hearts and dream with passion.

A #Pisces female badly need someone to protect her, but sometimes she can hide that feeling by being stubborn.

#Pisces are vulnerable to drug use, even sleeping pill abuse.

#Pisces are sensitive, intuitive and sympathetic. If you need a hug, they give the best.

To bed a #Pisces, you need to romance them.

#Pisces are able to make others feel better about themselves.

Because of their gentle nature, #Pisces are often hurt and taken advantage of by those who know them best.

#Pisces pretend to live in a beautiful world surrounded by nice people. They create this fantasy to escape from the fact.

#Pisces females are shoe collectors. Have you looked in their closet?

#Pisces enjoy making deep, intimate, emotional connections. That is water for their soul.

#Pisces like to be in a romantic dream world rather than reality.

#Pisces are very creative.

#Pisces are considered the ‘psychics’ of the Zodiac. Their observations give way to finely tuned intuition.

#Pisces has the ability to become very, very jealous.

A feisty #Pisces bites.

#Pisces are romantic.

#Pisces are very complex characters with deep emotional feelings and an interesting intellect.

#Pisces will understand your depth of feelings like no other sign.

The complete disintegrating of self and reality are possible when a #Pisces woman loses all grounding.

#Pisces have many choices and are never sure which path to take.

#Pisces prefer to go with the flow rather than fight the current.

#Pisces female hands and feet are small and soft.

#Pisces like to have their disagreements in private. It also makes it easier to have great make up sex afterwards.

Sex with #Pisces is the greatest near water….but most will do it anywhere, anyhow & down for almost anything.

A #Pisces woman will not push her man but she sure wants her man to push her in a good way!

#Pisces as the last sign of the Zodiac understands all colours of the sexual palette.

#Pisces women know how to please their man.

#Pisces will never share their memories of deepest love or deepest pain.

#Pisces has a very spiritual and emotional personality.

#Pisces cannot have sex without love.

http://twitter.com/#!/bestofpisces

The Postcard

Spilling the days no memory will restore,
time's fountain climbs its own perpetual core.
The edges are ragged, all tattered and torn,
with the sepia tones of yester year
washing over the faded scene.

The summers and winter have slowly passed
leaving memories of a love once lost,
captured in the inscription, though short and sweet,
scrawled in a tattered corner.

The ink, slowly fading, almost non-existent,
'with love to thee Bessy,
you have stolen my heart'.
Only the faded picture holds the key.

A bridge, over water.
A brook?.....maybe a stream?
Surrounded by flowers - their colour, unknown.
This bridge, this place, has meaning.

A vision of butterflies flashes in the back of her mind,
She can feel the cool breeze of a spring day.
Is it the day she met this man?
But her memory.....
She knows it has some significance,
Something to unlock her past.

The back is bare.
No stamp. No indication of where it might be from.
Where the place may be, what the year is.
Nothing.
1915 - but why that year does she think of?
Men in uniform march the streets -
but what significance is this to her?
There is something about the bridge...

The times she has looked at it,
stared at the inscription,
hours on end, but nothing.
The card is 'well worn'
like a good book that has been read many times.
But still nothing.

It is placed back in the drawer,
gently, with obvious care,
as if it has some sentimental meaning
she is unaware of.
'Better left until another day'.
The drawer closes with a 'click'.
and the past is left to lie.


c. 1999

Luggagitis....Update!

As in my previous entry, Luggagitis, I lamented over the issues I have with packing for holidays, mainly for my epic US adventure. So did I succeed? You be the judge..... 

Leaving Australia

Allowance = 2 x bags @ 23kg (50lbs) each

Tim = 1x bag @ 18kg (39.6lbs)

Sherry = 1 x bag @ 19.7kg (43.3lbs)

Leaving USA

Allowance = 2 x bags @ 23kg (50lbs) each

Tim = 1x bag @ 22.3kg (49lbs)

Sherry = 1x bag @ 22.5kg (49.5lbs)

Joint Luggage = 1x bag @ 19.5kg (43lbs)

= SUCCESS!!!!

Spring Cleaning......in Winter

We have a lot of crap. I don't use that term lightly. We just do.

Fact.

One of the downsides of having your own place is that, over time, it is slowly filled with a lot of useless things, or multiples of things, that you don't really need, but hang onto. When Tim and I moved in together he already had a house full of stuff, which is to be expected when he had been living in the place for 10 years prior. Add into the mix all of my stuff and all the donations of extra items from our families over the years, put all of this into a small place with a serious lack of storage and, well, you have a problem. So after all the years of procrastination, it's finally time to get rid of it all. My goal for the rest of this year, and as I head into my 30's, is to become as minimalistic as possible ( for me anyway). Now I don't expect to completely transform and banish all my hoarding ways, that is going to take time, but after beating my issues with Luggagitis earlier this year, I am going to give it my best shot. It's time.

So, how am I going to achieve this monstrous task? Well, thankfully, Tim is on board with the plan. He has come up with the idea of two boxes -

1. Rubbish

2. Salvation Army

and at the end of every week we need to 'collectively' have at least one box full, so that by the time Christmas comes around, our lives should be 'de-cluttered'. Seeing as Christmas is 5 months away, I think that is pretty do-able. However, knowing my own track record with throwing stuff out and the tendency to 'over sentimentalise' objects, I have also given myself 3 simple rules:

1. The standard 12 month rule (which I never usually follow) - if an item has not been used/worn in 12 months it has to go! No 'ifs' or 'buts' or 'I might use it' - it's gone!

2. If I find something I 'forgot I owned' I clearly don't need it, so it goes.

3. If I own multiple/excess amounts of any item - it goes!

At this stage I need to be pretty ruthless on myself. I really want to avoid in 10 years time, being featured on one of those 'excessive hoarders' shows. So, by actually writing about this and putting it out into the world, I am hoping it's going to force me into actually achieving this goal.

Stay tuned for updates on my progress....