Trivia Night....

This is me with mates Alex, Kylie, Tina and 'Weeksy' at the trivia night at the 'local' here in Lycehhardt (sp?). Its a little blurry because I grabbed some random dude to take the shot and only once the phone was in his hand did we all realise he could barely stand from being so drunk. Hence the reason we are all laughing ver hard too.

Anyway, the team came in second on the old trivia night...beaten out by a tie breaker question that we sucked on. It was a lot of fun and my first night out in Sydney.

Shows start tonight and still no word on my suitcase......lets all collectively pause for a moment to imagine it being returned to me TODAY!! I see myself pulling it through the front door, happy to be reunited with all my shit...and my clothes....and my equipment for the show tonight.

It's 4.19am over here and despite my best efforts, I think I have jet lag. Could be that and the damn humidity that is making my hair frizz uncontrollably (and I have NO shampoo or hair frizz stuff...in suitcase) and yes, I am worried for my suitcase.

Oh well....back to imagining my reunion with it...

xxM

Das Arrival-ass

Hmmm...not so good on the german I don't think...but I am here in Sydney and it's damn hot and muggy and its 6am and I am laying in bed listening to the magpies outside....it's a fond sound that brings me memories of being a kid growing up in Australia. Do a search for magpies if you have never seen one. They can be bloody bastard birds...when they are in mating season if you get anywhere near their nests (or even walk under trees where their nests are) they will swoop you and peck you on the top of the bed. Ahh....yes, great memories.

I am staying in Sydney with my great mate Alex and we tried to stay up last night, drink wine and solve all the earths problems. But I had to go to bed at 9pm. Couldn't keep my eyes awake..even as Alex was cooking a beautiful smelling dinner.

Oh...and Qantas/Air Pacific/Air New Zealand has lost my suitcase......please think good thoughts, say a prayer to the universe for it's return. I need it!! I have been sitting here thinking about all the things that are inside it and everytime I remember something else I get a little more concerned. So...if we collectively imagine it coming safely back to me, all in one piece...then that will surely help right? The power of intention....

I was hoping to have a photo to put up here, to show you Fiji or something...but my camera is in my case. Gulp....

Shows start tomorrow!

More soon from here...thinking good thoughts...

xxM

Random

Okay....as I am packing up my stuff to head back to Australia for the month, I decided I would take a random photo from my phone to send.

This is dominic, my fur husband in Chicago. He has a nice comfy bed to sleep on but prefers this box....I am certain there is something deep and meaningful in that concept, but my brain is too preoccupied to work it out.

Suggestions?

Beauty...

Somewhere between indiana and illinois.....from the car, my first time driving in snow, totally beautiful. I am grateful for the beauty I have in my life....

Xxm

And finally...

My last day of this great adventure and it snows! Despite being told this morning to not stand down wind when scraping snow off the car....about 5 seconds after this photo, I did just that and got snow balled by the car! What fun....can't wait for more.
Xxm

But

The question I have, is where is it falling from? For the life of me I couldn't find it.
Xxm

Happy bday to me

My mate lee made this for me. We are in joliet, celebrating. Good wine, good cake......

Yay for me!

Xxm

The cd...

Evan is just sending me mixed tracks from the cd and this is Sharon and Patty dancing to them until they are sweaty! It sounds amazing. Amazing. I can't believe it, I can't believe what we created....

It will rock your socks off....

Day two

Still no snow...I have taken to wearing all my clothes at once, with minimal skin showing.

My nose hurts and I miss my buds on the compound....

Chicago

My mates Sharon and Patti, in Chicago, waiting for the train to pass after drinking beers at the local Irish pub.

See all those winter clothes they have on? Its damn cold here!! I am blowing smoke rings...

Here marks my first night in Chicago!

Xxm

Southwest

Just incase they feel like giving me a flight endorsement....

Just heard the pilot say that there is light snow in Chicago and I got a sweet text and suddenly, I am really damn excited. Look how lucky I am...

And so

It begins.....

My friend julie told me today to walk towards this with curiosity....rather than with fear or trepidation. Somehow going towards it all with curiosity instead removes any fear and any feeling of not being able to change my mind should this not work for me.

So here I go, with curiosity.

Xxm

The end of the night

This is how it looked....the clutch went out in the car. We ate an amazing dinner, drank good wine and then called AAA to come get us!! Think good thoughts for the saab!

Xxm

International friend award...

Yes, I have nominated myself for this ficticious award and hereby second my nomination.

See the time? That's not pm time. I am sitting in the deserted 'park and call' lot at Oakland airport. My friend Julie is flying in after recording with eliza gilkenson in Austin. Julie missed her flight....and its dark and foggy out here and airports aren't pretty at night. They are a little spooky actually.

One and a bit more sleep though and I will be back here, flying to Chicago. A little scared of the cold but energized by the thought of the adventures I am going to have. Its my bday on Wednesday....and yes, its true, I am 34 again. Lucky me.

Xxm

The view from here

Glorious San Francisco. I laid awake this morning and listened to the city as it woke. The garbage trucks, the sea lions heralding the day, the traffic, the tv upstairs, the trolley cars barrelling down the street. And then I took a deep breath and tried to decide how the city smelt to me. I actually love the smell of it right now. Its been raining and the city is clean, the fog is heavy and the air is crisp. It smells fresh, at least for the minute.

I miss this city. Driving back into it each time my heart has a pang, a deep missing moment. Its been my home for the last 7 and a half years and even though I am away from it a lot, my heart would always be happy to see it....whether from the air flying over it or driving across the bridge towards it. There's just something about it.

But now I head towards a new chapter and there's a very high chance that I will be saying goodbye, or see you later, at least. So I want to be really conscious and aware of the things I have adored about the city. To hold it close to my heart and know I can always come back to it.

Xxm

Random

This is a shot of the Golden Gate Bridge....I love it, it looks like a painting to me.

I spoke to my brother in France last night. I am so proud of him. He will hate me for saying this, but he started with his company in the stock room and now he is the head of web development for Clipsal and is in France. He sounded a little nervous, first time in a non English speaking country, but I am sure, like most things, that he will just work it out and be charming.

I get to see my family in little over a month, and I am excited to be heading back to the homeland.

Xxm

Dear Mr Disney

Okay...so I am watching a Disney movie.

Its still cold outside and I am getting over my cough (not that I am feeling the need to justify watching a disney movie). The first round of ads came on and I noticed that 4 of the 5 ads were for weight loss pills or programs. I was initially annoyed by the extreme advertising about a sensitive issue for me and just wanting to feel all cosy and warm as I watched my movie rather than feeling bad about myself. The second round of ads I noticed AGAIN that they were all about weight loss, and one about bi-polar drugs, when it suddenly occurred to me that THIS WAS THE DISNEY CHANNEL PEOPLE!!! Kids are watching this shit!!!! I was mortified initially and that quickly turned to anger at this network for putting kids in the way of watching this. For perpetuating the disease of 'not good enough' that women (and men) of the current and past generations have suffered thru and been destroyed by. For encouraging the belief that anything past a size 0 is a disease that needs a pill to fix.

This is wrong people, wrong!

Mr Disney.....you make a butt load of money....do you really need to take on ad accounts that hurt and destroy the very spirits of the people who watch your network.....most of whom are children? As I just heard on Nancy Drew, its 'knock down stone cold wrong'.

Xxm

Berkeley farmers market

Its pouring with rain, the wind is blowing up a gale and I just heard lightening overhead.....but Henry and I (my fellow compound dweller) are at the Berkeley farmers market running between stalls (with no umbrella) trying to buy wet organic vegetables. It seems a little insane, but I suppose this is the price one pays for eating healthy.

I spoke with the wonderful Julie Loyd last night. She is in Seattle recoding her new cd with Mr Brubaker at the helm. Sending her good thoughts and it made me miss them all up there....can't wait to record again.....I KNOW, I KNOW....this one isn't even out yet.

Xxm

The view from where I sit..

Its pouring with rain here in emeryville, CA. They had storm warnings all over the tv last night as there were two massive storms that were going to hit at once. I don't really want to go outside.....

I spoke to my mum in Adelaide, South Australia last night and she was telling me that they are having a massive heat wave over there. So much so that she can barely go outside in the day time. That it hasn't given them a break in weeks.

I also spoke to one of my best mates in Venice, Italy last night. He said they were having massive snow storms over there.

Seems to me like everyone is getting the extreme of their seasons right now. Personally, I'd like to take all those people who don't believe in global warming and stick them in the middle of those 'most extremes' for a month. See how they like that, if it changes anything for them.

But for now, back to watching the storm.....

Xxm

2008

Here we are then.

2008

Its raining outside here in CA as I am certain its raining elsewhere.

There are a billion stars out and I just want to walk outside with the cows and appreciate the fact that I can see and feel it all.

Came up with the title of my cd last night. Been waiting ode months for it and finally it came.

It will be called 'undone'.

Yay for titles, yay for new years and yay for taking the god damn bull by the horns and hanging on for the ride. A huge year this shall be.

Xxm

The ladies....

Big old new years night up here in petaluma and you know, I thought we were just passing the peace sign onto people. Perhaps the ladies have other things in mind....check back later and I will let you know.

Happy new years to the East coasters. Many thoughts sent to those in the 3 hour ahead time zone. Damn you for taking my thoughts and for me not being there too. Maybe next year?

But now, back to the ladies.