The First Random Mutterings of 2006

Well, pip-pip and Happy 2006 to you all!

I felt a change of format was in order for the brand spanking new year...but unfortunately the selections blogger.com offers are somewhat limited. I just couldn't get keen on any particular one. So I've just gone from pink to blue. Heck, I'll probably change it back when I finish this post, and then this post won't even make sense!

I'm at work this morning - bright and early, 4am start - so I thought I'd use the time between writing the latest sports news to bring you the latest "Nats" news. (Lame!!!)

So here is a collection of somewhat garbled nonsense - all of which takes up valuable brain space that I could be devoting to learning html so I can finally set up my own website and make it flashly like. Ooh, flashy.

*Had a good Christmas/New Year. Been working all through it, so it wasn't really a "holiday". New Year's was fun - we went on the annual trek to Milton Bowl, then drinks at my place, then to Castle Blokenstein for party shenanigans. Beer bongs, man. Wow. I wish I'd known it was fancy dress. My khaki shorts and black singlet didn't really fit into the "Las Vegas" theme! Good fun, and it gave me the chance to catch up with some groovy people, including the fabulous Luke Lilley, who's returned to Brisbane after three years country teaching service at Moranbah.

*Work is still good, and reasonably fun. I'm hoping 2006 will see further developments in my career - a contination and further development of my role on programs (reviewing and hot damn I want to introduce a history show!), and maybe some more regular hours - although that is more unlikely, due to my position in the newsroom. I'm actually a bit concerned re-shuffling may actually LESSEN the opportunities to read the news during the daytime, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. A pay rise wouldn't hurt either!

*This article is great. I especially like the line "The girls are much more orally adventurous", as it's quite possibly the filthiest line ever to be taken out of context. ;)

*The marvellously malevolent but benevolent dictator-in-waiting Mein Wah-rer bought me the ENTIRE six-series, deluxe special edition collector's box set of "Xena: Warrior Princess". Oh boy, but it's good. Was a bit perplexed as to how to watch them ( start at the beginning? Or watch the later series first, the ones I missed because Channel Ten relagated the show to 2am on a Thursday morning or something equally as silly?), but I just started this week and kept going. Mind you I'm still on Season One. There's a lot of Xena to be loved. Anyone who criticises this show and is a Lord of the Rings fan, you can blow me. Pretty much the entire "Hercules" and "Xena" crew moved directly on to LotR, and used many of the techniques, costumes etc etc for that trilogy. Also, Xena did everything Buffy did BEFORE Buffy did it, so you Joss Whedon fan boys can kiss my Firefly-ridden butt. ;) I could wax lyrical on this subject for days but for the one person who might still be reading, I'll move on.

*Family Guy! My new addiction. I'm pretty proud of my Lois voice too. The Wah is also a big fan - he even told me the other day that he now sings "The Road to Rhode Island" to himself when he's cranky at work, and it makes him smile. ;) My next task is to memorise "Stewie" and "Brian" -isms, so I can become even more annoying at parties with endless repetitions!

*Blogging as a whole....thing. I was listening to NewsRadio yesterday - they had on a fascinating report about blogging exploding in popularity in France. Apparently there are now 7 MILLION froggy blogs. (Hey, I like that. I just made that up too.) Politicans are now beginning to grant INTERVIEWS to bloggers, in order to reach young people. It's pretty amazing I guess. But that doesn't stop the fact that it's almost criminally self-indulgent. By God. Look at me here. I'm just crapping on about pointless stuff that means nothing to nobody except me. I'm not publishing reports, reviews, articles, research, interviews, stories or anything - just my everday B.S. You can't tell me that anyone's reading - therefore what's the point? I guess that's why I haven't posted for a while - just more cyberspace clutter really.

It's made me think again about starting a proper website with actual content that might be a positive thing for my career. It should be anonymous really - I need a nom de plume! I guess I could still use Girl Clumsy (it does fit like a glove!) but people would know me. Well, some people. The Wah's been encouraging me to podcast my reviews. Hopefully I'll be able to get permission to use them in some form. But I need a theme, something more than just "Natalie". Sure it's the subject I know best, but it's a bit balls really. ;)

*People are groovy. People are also moving around a lot. There's a lot of change going on. Yet Natalie is still suffering from retarded growth. ;) I do still want to buy a place - but it's been frustatingly slim pickings over the holiday period. Nobody's selling. If nothing good comes up I will reassess the entire option of buying completely - probably in February. I am committed to moving out. I would be out by now if I had not buggered up the Toowong deal last month! But as I say, February seems like looming as decision-making month. I feel somewhat bad about having a buyers' agent and then not buying, but hopefully Cheri will understand if I decide not to go ahead. I'm just not prepared to compromise location. I want to stay inner-city; but it may be I have to look at some more southside suburbs. (I mean, the southside? Can you imagine!?!)

Well I think I've crapped on enough now. Wow! Big long post. To anyone who's made it this far, I salute you, and all who sail on you! (Phwoar!)

Cheers all, Natalie.