Snarks and Ladders

Well, if anyone managed to track me down from my old WoW blog, I guess you deserve to here the full story, just for sheer perseverance’s sake.

For the record – I still maintain there was nothing wrong with my old lifestyle.  I’m just choosing not to live it anymore, because it’s not good for me.  That doesn’t mean I am condemning it, or saying it’s not good for anyone else.

I spend an inordinate amount of time on the internet.  I’m a bit of a social networking junkie.  I love chatting to the wonderful people I have met from all around the world on the internet.  I spend most of my downtime hanging around online while doing other things – the internet is great for multitasking.

Unfortunately, I seem to have a problem with meeting guys online.  I know that there is nothing wrong with meeting people online and forming relationships that way – I totally get it.  I am a little concerned though that it IS how I met my last two boyfriends, as well as the guy who was involved in the dismal mess that I am now trying to get over.  Clearly I either meet the most fantastic people online (partially true), or I am just easily convinced to fall for someone (perhaps also easily true).

In real life, people tend to annoy me more.  You have to actually put up with their little quirks and habits.  I know that I have several annoying things I do which don’t come across online (I’ll compulsively rub my hands together when nervous.  Or my eye will itch and I’ll rub it until it’s red and sore.  I fail at making conversation with strangers, and I invariably end up blushing when I talk to them, which leads to further embarrassment and MORE blushing).  Online, I am a much superior version of myself.  And I guess a lot of other people are too.

So, yeah, I find myself falling for the wrong people.  And then getting hurt when it turns out I am not as likable as they once thought.  So, partially because of this, and partially because I want to try and reclaim my pre-gaming life back, I basically threw my hands up and said ‘no more!’ to the WoW community.

So I’m going to try and be better at my job.  I’m going to try and be fitter and look and feel healthier.  I’m going to try to be a better house keeper.  Read more.  Eat less.  Be a better pet owner.  Spend more time socialising with people who are physically around me, even if I would much rather curl up on the couch and stay in.

And I’m not going to fall for anyone who blindly leads me on, or let myself get in over my head like I have in the past.  I’m just getting tired of it.

• yep, that was hideous. Want to go to bed and cry, and can't. Fuck it all. #
• and now to brace myself for something that is inevitably going to be ugly. Goodie. #
• Oh how I missed you computer!!! <3 #
• *sigh* What a giant ball of epic fail. I want a new job. http://bit.ly/aUsV20 #

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So, I was flying back from LA (via Fiji), and about half way home I suddenly developed this weird itch.  I looked, and there were a couple of lumps on my hand.  I scratched them absentmindedly… but didn’t think much of it.  I was tired, I was run down, and a little stressed – getting a couple of lumps wasn’t all that weird really in the circumstances.

When I stopped at Fiji, I noticed that I had a couple more.  Again, didn’t think much of it.  By then I had been awake for well over 24 hours, it was hot, sticky and uncomfortable, and for some idiotic reason they made us all line up and get screened AGAIN.  You know, just in case we stole a butter knife off the plane or something.

Anyway, by the time I landed in  Sydney, I had lumps all up my arms.  I figured I was probably allergic to something on the plane.  Sure, I was itchy as all hell, but it would pass since I was off the plane, right?

Well… it just kept spreading.  My face got lumps.  My shoulders and neck got lumps.  My stomach got lumps.  So… I went and got it checked out, and it appears that some bastard gave me the chicken pox while I was away.  God damn it.

I always thought that you could only get chicken pox once.  Well, no, turns out you can get it more than once.  Of course, usually you get it as shingles the second time around, but I guess my body forgot that I had chicken pox when I was 7, so I caught them again.  So now I am dizzy, fevery, and can’t seem to resist scratching!

Which means I am stuck at Mum and Dad’s until I am feeling a smidgen better.  Very annoying, as I was looking forward to being home in my own bed, with my own TV and my own computer… I miss my little house!

/end whine

P.S. – still totally swooning.  Oh yeah, I’ve got it bad!

• @softthistle when I get home, I think we shall need some serious girly gossip time ^^ #
• I wish I had a way if making him understand just how I feel. Terrified of sounding too full on, terrified of him thinking I don't care #
• @Magnetoboldtoo um… yikes? Good grief, where's a gun when you need one? in reply to Magnetoboldtoo #
• My head is in a right royal mess at the moment. So much for being cool, calm and collected! #
• http://bit.ly/7IPapw and people wonder why some days I just want to give up on teaching. Bring it on, Gillard! #

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So, I don’t think I can adequately describe my holiday, since I kinda failed at writing about it as I went.  Instead, you get the fun Cliffnotes version!

Japan

The first important thing to note is that Japan is one of the most technologically advanced countries in the world.  However, this DOES NOT MEAN that they have the technology to put EFTPOS in their stores.  That’s right, everywhere in Japan is cash only.  Including the 7 Elevens.  EFTPOS machines and credit cards are waaaay too complicated for these people!

Of course, I would have loved to know this BEFORE I left Australia.

The second important thing to note is that, to dress to fit in while in Japan, you must abandon all common sense.

1.  It’s winter, so you should clearly wear miniskirts that barely cover your butt.

2.  No one cares if you can’t walk in those heels, wear them anyway!

3.  Remember when you were 5, and dressing up meant dragging EVERYTHING out of your mother’s wardrobe and throwing it all on?  Yep, that’s what you have got to do.  Bonus points for not matching!

However, even if you do manage to get the dressing thing down, you will never blend in.  People will slow down in their cars to stare at you as you walk down the street.  All fear the blonde hair!

Thirdly – skiing is hard when you are uncoordinated and have no balance.  Also – it is a bad idea to start skiing down a hill, and then realise half way down that you do not know how to steer OR stop.  I suggest in that situation, you do what I did – crash into the nearest relative.  Then roll around in the snow for a good ten minutes laughing at the hilarity of it all.

Finally… never ask what the food is in front of you.  Seriously.  You do NOT want to know.

Canada

Oh, definitely the highlight of my trip.  Vancouver has now kicked Melbourne off the top of my favourite cities list (a tough thing to do!), and if I wasn’t obligated to return to Australia, I would have applied for a working visa right there and then.

Canadians are like Australians who are too cold to bother being assholes.  I mean, Australians are nice people (some of the best people in the world, myself included, are Australian).  However, when you are icky and hot and sweaty, it’s hard to be nice. 

Also helps I guess that I spent some time with the most awesome person in the world.  Maybe THAT explains why I liked Vancouver so much.

However, in Canada, it’s really important to make sure you have an umbrella.  It rains a LOT.  But make sure you don’t rug up too much – I made that mistake when I got there and nearly died of heat exhaustion.  It’s not as cold as what people lead you to believe!

Another important thing to note about (well, where I stayed, anyway) Vancouver is that there are tattooists and piercing parlours EVERYWHERE.  If you are weak of will, like me, you may come home with an extra bodily addition.

Did you know it’s REALLY HARD to get used to eating with a giant piece of metal through your tongue?

United States

Not much to say about here, since I spent all my time so far in the States sick as a dog.

OH, except this.

It fricking god damn SNOWS in the Grand Canyon.  I didn’t know that.  Consequently, my Canyon photos are all misty, foggy, snowy fail.

AARGH.

But yeah, highlight of the trip?  Awesome Canadian guy.  /swoons.

Now please excuse me while I go turn into a giant puddle of mush for an hour!

• http://bit.ly/4H749o Oh good grief… it's getting tiresome hearing how nothing is good for us anymore. Get over it! #

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• Totally squeeing right now! #

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• Vodka, Japanese food, karaoke, snow… what could possibly go wrong? #
• @softthistle d'awwww /hugs!!!!!! Thanks! #
• @softthistle hopefully nothing else weird! in reply to softthistle #
• @softthistle couldn't taste it for the sauce. Was kinda chewy, but I put that down to the rawness. in reply to softthistle #
• OK…. first dinner of the new year, and they serve up raw horse. And I ate it! OMG… I feel gross #

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