There's nothing like paying $5 for a 15 minute internet session - and to not even be able to send the one urgent e-mail you forked out the bucks for due to an excruciatingly slow net connection - to make you get to the point.
Ergo, a summary of Woodford thus far:
- it is cold.
- it is wet.
- it is muddy.
- we packed for neither.
- we have brought the kids up to the Sunny Coast for the day, in an effort to dry out and entertain them in an unlikely-to-catch-a-cold capacity before dropping them off for a few days at Tim's brother and his wife's place.
- Woodford is otherwise rocking - had my first gig last night which was good but not amazing. I think I was a little nervous and also a bit out of it, seeing as I put my back out yesterday. I even went to a Reiki dude who cracked my back so much I was half expecting a big nut to pop out (it didn't: phew) and dosed up on Nurofen but anyway...the point is, it still went well, though I was a little stunned by the size of the crowd and not being able to see a single one of them. Totally different acoustics, totally different laughter... I think I was a little spun out to fully enjoy it, but now I've gotten over the shock of the first one, I'm sure it's gonna all be more fun from here on!
Stay tuned, hippies!
Thursday, December 28, 2006
Sunday, December 24, 2006
I'm Dreaming Of A Trashy Christmas
We arrived late this avo at my brother and sister-in-law's abode on the Coast and, at the invitation of one of our neighbours, decided to venture forth to the community church next door for Christmas carols and free food (for I, dear reader, am a sucker for both.)
It didn't take me long to realise I'd perhaps made a mistake in taking the kids in barefoot. For what followed was an absolute avalanche of charity - virtually thrust upon us was plate after plate of food, drinks, lolly-pops, candy-canes, fruit-cake, teddy bears (upon last count the kids had clocked up five of the things complete with Santa caps), a gingerbread Christmas tree (I'm talking a huge one that actually stands up and everything) and glo-sticks. No kidding...we walked out of the place half an hour later with such a massive stash it looked like we were knocking the place off. Embarassing in that very profitable kinda way.
But embarrassment aside, I was actually genuinely moved - to get a glimpse of what it must mean for people who are truly in need, to go to a place like this and just have absolute generosity spilled upon them, to see the looks on their kids' faces when they are spoiled rotten, to feel like you actually have people around who are going out of their way to serve you...I was struck by a couple of thoughts:
1. Wow, it's so awesome that things like this exist for the homeless.
2. Wow, maybe they think that we're homeless.
3. Hang on...we ARE homeless!
The only thing that made me chuckle more was later when I put out the fruit cake and milk for Santa, only to have Ella voice her terror at the thought of Santa stealing our newly-scored Gingerbread Christmas Tree. "Put it in the cupboard, Mummy, quickly!"
I've never managed to feel so chirpy and trashy at the same time.
It didn't take me long to realise I'd perhaps made a mistake in taking the kids in barefoot. For what followed was an absolute avalanche of charity - virtually thrust upon us was plate after plate of food, drinks, lolly-pops, candy-canes, fruit-cake, teddy bears (upon last count the kids had clocked up five of the things complete with Santa caps), a gingerbread Christmas tree (I'm talking a huge one that actually stands up and everything) and glo-sticks. No kidding...we walked out of the place half an hour later with such a massive stash it looked like we were knocking the place off. Embarassing in that very profitable kinda way.
But embarrassment aside, I was actually genuinely moved - to get a glimpse of what it must mean for people who are truly in need, to go to a place like this and just have absolute generosity spilled upon them, to see the looks on their kids' faces when they are spoiled rotten, to feel like you actually have people around who are going out of their way to serve you...I was struck by a couple of thoughts:
1. Wow, it's so awesome that things like this exist for the homeless.
2. Wow, maybe they think that we're homeless.
3. Hang on...we ARE homeless!
The only thing that made me chuckle more was later when I put out the fruit cake and milk for Santa, only to have Ella voice her terror at the thought of Santa stealing our newly-scored Gingerbread Christmas Tree. "Put it in the cupboard, Mummy, quickly!"
I've never managed to feel so chirpy and trashy at the same time.
Friday, December 22, 2006
A Christmas Poem
This poem would work so much better if I could only set it to the music that's in my head as I write it. Oh well...please just use your imagination and apply your backing music of choice.
I'm planning to spend Christmas
Eating lots and lots of good food,
Followed by some drinkies
And a lovely week at Woodford.
But enough about me, what about you?
I'm a self-absorbed young fairy,
Whatever plans you have I hope
They're fun and light and merry.
Have fun dear darlings, don't spend too much
And whether the day's snowy or sunny,
Know you've had some Christmas wishes
From the Comic Mummy.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
I'm planning to spend Christmas
Eating lots and lots of good food,
Followed by some drinkies
And a lovely week at Woodford.
But enough about me, what about you?
I'm a self-absorbed young fairy,
Whatever plans you have I hope
They're fun and light and merry.
Have fun dear darlings, don't spend too much
And whether the day's snowy or sunny,
Know you've had some Christmas wishes
From the Comic Mummy.
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Christmas Cheer and Christmas Fear
The Cheer:
Last night the whole fam made the trek back to Brissie for a last-minute Christmas dinner party - a ton of food, a ton of friends. Magic.
The Fear:
This morning we were greeted with a letter from my old land-lords, who, despite being extremely nice to our faces (in fact, even checking over our heartily scrubbed empty house and giving us the thumbs up), have decided to do the typical passive-aggressive thing and written down all the things they intend to take out of our bond. THIS MAKES ME SO MAD!!!!!!!!!! Especially given that the entire house has been falling apart since the day we moved in, they didn't even come and fix our toilet flush thingy which has been broken for the past six months, and now they have the nerve to try and charge us for fixing the place up! GRRRR!!!!!
I'm far from beaten though - I'm determined to take them on and win.
Mango Lick, I need your help!
Last night the whole fam made the trek back to Brissie for a last-minute Christmas dinner party - a ton of food, a ton of friends. Magic.
The Fear:
This morning we were greeted with a letter from my old land-lords, who, despite being extremely nice to our faces (in fact, even checking over our heartily scrubbed empty house and giving us the thumbs up), have decided to do the typical passive-aggressive thing and written down all the things they intend to take out of our bond. THIS MAKES ME SO MAD!!!!!!!!!! Especially given that the entire house has been falling apart since the day we moved in, they didn't even come and fix our toilet flush thingy which has been broken for the past six months, and now they have the nerve to try and charge us for fixing the place up! GRRRR!!!!!
I'm far from beaten though - I'm determined to take them on and win.
Mango Lick, I need your help!
Monday, December 18, 2006
In other official and convulsing news
We're officially out of the house (don't even ask about it as I'm still convulsing), officially in with the in-laws (less convulsing) and officially unsure of our plans for 2007. Which strangely, I'm totally digging. I guess when your child-full life is full of so much predictability (from cuddles to tantrums and everything in between), having some major life stuff suddenly become so potent with possibility is actually a real rush.
The only sad thing is that we got back from tour, then packed up within a week and left in such a rush that I feel like I just left town without even saying goodbye to anybody. In fact, apart from my closest mates and those who read this blog (there is some overlap, I'm happy to note) there are actually a ton of people in my life who probably don't even KNOW that I've moved.
*convulsing*
The only sad thing is that we got back from tour, then packed up within a week and left in such a rush that I feel like I just left town without even saying goodbye to anybody. In fact, apart from my closest mates and those who read this blog (there is some overlap, I'm happy to note) there are actually a ton of people in my life who probably don't even KNOW that I've moved.
*convulsing*
Thursday, December 14, 2006
HHHHEEEEELLLLLLPPPPPP!!!!!!!!!!
I'm THIS close to losing it - drowning in a three-quarters packed house, kids are more feral than ever before, in fact I am more feral than ever before...
SOMEONE BETTER SEND ME AN ANGEL (or chocolate) PRONTO.
Ta.
SOMEONE BETTER SEND ME AN ANGEL (or chocolate) PRONTO.
Ta.
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
Interview with the House-Mover
They can improve the ring-tones on the mobile phone, they can enhance the efficiency of the washing machine, but when it comes to the good old house-move...can they do anything to make it less painful? How bout NO.
We're at that half-way point right about now - you know, where there's enough stuff packed up to make you feel like you're making progress, but enough crap and dirt lying around to make you feel exhausted at the prospect of what lies ahead. Alas, I must go on, for there's no turning back.
But before I do, I'm taking a sanity break and writing some mindless drivel. Please don't feel obliged to read it, it's purely for my own entertainment.
Oh alright - you glutton for punishment you. But don't say I didn't warn you. This is an idea I stole from Gem, who decided to conduct her own Good Weekend style interview. I've already done one of these but here's another. Cos I'm nothing if not original.
My Perfect Weekend
Jenny Wynter. Comedian, Writer, Mother and Mad-Woman.
If you could go anywhere for a weekend, where would it be?
Johnny Depp's bedroom. Oh sorry, did I type that out loud? Um...probably a beautiful beachy island (as opposed to those horrid non-beachy ones) where it's just me and Tim, endless buffets of non-fattening food (i.e. yummy food which would traditionally fatten you but here it just doesn't) and we can roam nudie and surf and stuff.
What's an ordinary weekend like?
About as far removed from the previous answer as you can get.
What do you do on a Saturday night?
You mean if I'm not gigging or fighting crime? We usually socialise as a family - usually anything from the whole clan descending on a party (the only people who love to carve up the dance floor more than I do are my kids) to having dinner and board-games with other families. We're so friendly like that.
How do you relax?
Relax? Que?
What's your biggest weekend indulgence?
My Saturday sleep-in. I wish I knew how to type Homer Simpson's reaction when he sees beer, cos that's exactly what I do when I think of sleeping in..ughhghghaahghghgllllleyooo.
What do you do and where do you go if you want to paint the town red?
I don't drink heaps anymore cos kids + hangovers = kill me, but usually a night out with my girlfriends + bar hopping + bad karaoke (as opposed to the Idol kind) = my kinda night.
What are you reading?
Some old journals of mine that I found while moving - so many random ideas, so little time.
What are you watching?
Not a lot lately, but before we left on our trip we were getting completely addicted to the second season of Lost.
What do you do if you're looking for inspiration?
Oh it's easy. I just yell "Inspiration? Inspiration! Come here this minute young man, or you're in time out!" That and I read the Nelson Mandela quote about allowing ourselves to be everything we can be. But the first one's much more fun, especially when the little bastard talks back.
What did the weekend mean to you when you were a kid?
Sleeping in. Ughhghghaahghghgllllleyooo.
Followed by mum getting disgusted by the laziness of the next generation, and proceeding to wake me up by entering the room and vacuuming. To this day, the sound of a vacuum cleaner gives me shudders.
We're at that half-way point right about now - you know, where there's enough stuff packed up to make you feel like you're making progress, but enough crap and dirt lying around to make you feel exhausted at the prospect of what lies ahead. Alas, I must go on, for there's no turning back.
But before I do, I'm taking a sanity break and writing some mindless drivel. Please don't feel obliged to read it, it's purely for my own entertainment.
Oh alright - you glutton for punishment you. But don't say I didn't warn you. This is an idea I stole from Gem, who decided to conduct her own Good Weekend style interview. I've already done one of these but here's another. Cos I'm nothing if not original.
My Perfect Weekend
Jenny Wynter. Comedian, Writer, Mother and Mad-Woman.
If you could go anywhere for a weekend, where would it be?
Johnny Depp's bedroom. Oh sorry, did I type that out loud? Um...probably a beautiful beachy island (as opposed to those horrid non-beachy ones) where it's just me and Tim, endless buffets of non-fattening food (i.e. yummy food which would traditionally fatten you but here it just doesn't) and we can roam nudie and surf and stuff.
What's an ordinary weekend like?
About as far removed from the previous answer as you can get.
What do you do on a Saturday night?
You mean if I'm not gigging or fighting crime? We usually socialise as a family - usually anything from the whole clan descending on a party (the only people who love to carve up the dance floor more than I do are my kids) to having dinner and board-games with other families. We're so friendly like that.
How do you relax?
Relax? Que?
What's your biggest weekend indulgence?
My Saturday sleep-in. I wish I knew how to type Homer Simpson's reaction when he sees beer, cos that's exactly what I do when I think of sleeping in..ughhghghaahghghgllllleyooo.
What do you do and where do you go if you want to paint the town red?
I don't drink heaps anymore cos kids + hangovers = kill me, but usually a night out with my girlfriends + bar hopping + bad karaoke (as opposed to the Idol kind) = my kinda night.
What are you reading?
Some old journals of mine that I found while moving - so many random ideas, so little time.
What are you watching?
Not a lot lately, but before we left on our trip we were getting completely addicted to the second season of Lost.
What do you do if you're looking for inspiration?
Oh it's easy. I just yell "Inspiration? Inspiration! Come here this minute young man, or you're in time out!" That and I read the Nelson Mandela quote about allowing ourselves to be everything we can be. But the first one's much more fun, especially when the little bastard talks back.
What did the weekend mean to you when you were a kid?
Sleeping in. Ughhghghaahghghgllllleyooo.
Followed by mum getting disgusted by the laziness of the next generation, and proceeding to wake me up by entering the room and vacuuming. To this day, the sound of a vacuum cleaner gives me shudders.
Monday, December 11, 2006
It's Official: I'm a Scumbag
The only thing weirder than this "Brutally Honest Personality Test" is that I got almost identical results to the person whose blog I read it on!!! Thanks Rache!
| Scumbag- ENFP 73% Extraversion, 93% Intuition, 20% Thinking, 20% Judging |
| I have a feeling you're not going to like this much. Do I care? No. How do I know? It's because you hate criticism. You love to be loved and you'll do anything to be accepted. Unfortunately for you, I can see right through your insincere compliments and over-the-top greetings. No matter what you do, I'll always hate you for what you are. An arrogant, unstable, overly enthusiastic scumbag. I bet you're pretty proud of your accomplishments, huh? You seem to achieve at whatever you put your little mind too. Trust me. Nobody likes the person who is good at everything. NOBODY LIKES YOU. This might also have something to do with the fact that you're a cheating machine. You're just not the type of person to make long-term commitments. You enjoy seeing "what could be", rather than being satisfied with "what is." This, of course, means you often leave others in the dust while you seek out another lover. Well, at least you're not the one left in the dust. Unfortunately, when you're the one lying in the gutter with a bloody knife in your back, you might think differently. ***************** If you want to learn more about your personality type in a slightly less negative way, check out this. ***************** The other personality types are as follows... Loner - Introverted Sensing Feeling Perceiving |
 |
My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|
| Link: The Brutally Honest Personality Test written by UltimateMaster on OkCupid Free Online Dating, home of the The Dating Persona Test |
Sunday, December 10, 2006
Enough of the Schmaltz Already!
We've wanted to move to the beach for as long as we've been together. It's where we fell in love, you see. Ah yes, I remember it just like it was...eight years ago.
The weekend trips to Byron Bay...
Renting out long-boards and surfing the waves...
Realising Tim's quirky factor was right up there upon sighting his new boardshorts in all their fluorescent orange glory. I'm not kidding - they made traffic lights look like beige pantyhose. I believe the ensuing conversation went something like:
Him - Check these out! I got them on sale for a bargain!
Me - WHAT? I'M SORRY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER YOUR SHORTS!
Anyway, the point is, the beach has always been a very special place for us. And now finally, after years of thinking about it as this elusive 'wow' place, we're actually moving there.
It's like we've finally woken up and realised that our dreams of raising our kids at the beach need some serious action if they're to come true. Our kids are almost at school age already, after all (well, Ella is) and I REFUSE to wait until I'm battling arthritis to give myself permission to 'retire' to the coast. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen now.
The downside of course, is that most of my gigs these days are in Brisvegas - BUT...now we've got the van, commuting should be relatively manageable. Plus, I'll no doubt be a bit more selective in which gigs I take - probably a good thing. Plus I can finally focus myself and finish off some projects which are THIS close to finished but I just haven't had the time or energy to take them home to the finish line.
Plus...I cannot wait to get back into surfing - we did a bit on the recent tour and I'd forgotten how much I love it. I'm pretty crap at it, but just being out there clears the head and soothes the soul. Just like a good cough lolly, really. But less sticky.
My fabulously inspiring friends Lemm and Sian reminded me of a schmaltzy but cool story last night:
A dude is fishing off a pier, when he's approached by another guy. The guy says to him "wow, you should really start selling those fish, then you could invest what you make back into your business, hire some staff, grow it up and then sell it off, you could make a fortune!"
"Why would I want to do that?" says the fisherman.
"Well," says the man, "so you could afford to do the things you really want to do!"
"What?" says the fisherman, "you mean like go fishing off the pier?"
***
The Comic Mummy makes no apologies for the sickly sweet gooey nature of this story, but takes full responsibility for any happy warm feelings of fuzz generated as a result of reading it. Please direct all compliments to the comments section and all complaints to enoughoftheschmaltzalready@vomit.com
The weekend trips to Byron Bay...
Renting out long-boards and surfing the waves...
Realising Tim's quirky factor was right up there upon sighting his new boardshorts in all their fluorescent orange glory. I'm not kidding - they made traffic lights look like beige pantyhose. I believe the ensuing conversation went something like:
Him - Check these out! I got them on sale for a bargain!
Me - WHAT? I'M SORRY, I CAN'T HEAR YOU OVER YOUR SHORTS!
Anyway, the point is, the beach has always been a very special place for us. And now finally, after years of thinking about it as this elusive 'wow' place, we're actually moving there.
It's like we've finally woken up and realised that our dreams of raising our kids at the beach need some serious action if they're to come true. Our kids are almost at school age already, after all (well, Ella is) and I REFUSE to wait until I'm battling arthritis to give myself permission to 'retire' to the coast. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen now.
The downside of course, is that most of my gigs these days are in Brisvegas - BUT...now we've got the van, commuting should be relatively manageable. Plus, I'll no doubt be a bit more selective in which gigs I take - probably a good thing. Plus I can finally focus myself and finish off some projects which are THIS close to finished but I just haven't had the time or energy to take them home to the finish line.
Plus...I cannot wait to get back into surfing - we did a bit on the recent tour and I'd forgotten how much I love it. I'm pretty crap at it, but just being out there clears the head and soothes the soul. Just like a good cough lolly, really. But less sticky.
My fabulously inspiring friends Lemm and Sian reminded me of a schmaltzy but cool story last night:
A dude is fishing off a pier, when he's approached by another guy. The guy says to him "wow, you should really start selling those fish, then you could invest what you make back into your business, hire some staff, grow it up and then sell it off, you could make a fortune!"
"Why would I want to do that?" says the fisherman.
"Well," says the man, "so you could afford to do the things you really want to do!"
"What?" says the fisherman, "you mean like go fishing off the pier?"
***
The Comic Mummy makes no apologies for the sickly sweet gooey nature of this story, but takes full responsibility for any happy warm feelings of fuzz generated as a result of reading it. Please direct all compliments to the comments section and all complaints to enoughoftheschmaltzalready@vomit.com
Friday, December 08, 2006
Highlights of the final tour leg
- teaching Ella to ride waves on her boogie board.
- spending oodles (did I just say oodles?) yes, OODLES of time at the beach with the kids and actually having a few moments of realising that at that particular point in time, cuddling my kiddies and paddling around in the surf, that I felt completely and utterly happy.
- two absolutely kick-ass gigs in northern NSW, the first being a women's dinner at Nimbin, the other being a Wicked Women comedy night in Bangalow. Seriously, I am in LOVE with these audiences. Hubby, you should be seriously jealous.
- the van not breaking down even once.
- Ella's boogie board breaking - namely cos she started trying to stand up and surf on it. Needless to say we'll be putting Santa on the case.
- scoring a last-minute gig at the Gold Coast Arts Centre tonight. We were going to extend the trip another night but decided another caravan park was probably a little too exhausting in the name of saving a 40 minute drive, so we're now back home as of this avo, and I'm going to drive back. I'm so excited cos I'm supporting Sean Choolburra who I saw a year or so ago and LOVED. I think he's also on at Woodford...
- deflating slightly over the last few days in the realisation that the reality of day-to-day life is soon to hit. Or worse than day-to-day stuff, the reality of MOVING HOUSE.
Which, for those of you who've been kind enough to wonder (and please forgive me for the lack of comment replying - I do read and love all your comments and e-mails but I've just been a little backward on the internet thing lately for obvious reasons!), we are moving house...not for the oh wow I've been given the dream career break of a lifetime reasons, but for the oh wow let's have some downtime and raise our family the way we've always wanted to reasons: and are thus moving to the beach.
HOOORRRAAAYYYY!!!!!!!
I'll write more about this after someone donates me a case of energy drinks - but for now, know that the plan is to move out of here in a week, then be gypsies for a month (thanks to our trusty van who's been christened Connie the Econovan) then move up to the Sunshine Coast for the next 6 months to a year. Then...who knows? There's a few very cool possibilities in the pipeline but for now I'm keeping my cards close to my chest. But it's all mega mega exciting.
Okay, I'm gonna go crash now so I don't crash tonight. The car, I mean. Wish me luck.
- spending oodles (did I just say oodles?) yes, OODLES of time at the beach with the kids and actually having a few moments of realising that at that particular point in time, cuddling my kiddies and paddling around in the surf, that I felt completely and utterly happy.
- two absolutely kick-ass gigs in northern NSW, the first being a women's dinner at Nimbin, the other being a Wicked Women comedy night in Bangalow. Seriously, I am in LOVE with these audiences. Hubby, you should be seriously jealous.
- the van not breaking down even once.
- Ella's boogie board breaking - namely cos she started trying to stand up and surf on it. Needless to say we'll be putting Santa on the case.
- scoring a last-minute gig at the Gold Coast Arts Centre tonight. We were going to extend the trip another night but decided another caravan park was probably a little too exhausting in the name of saving a 40 minute drive, so we're now back home as of this avo, and I'm going to drive back. I'm so excited cos I'm supporting Sean Choolburra who I saw a year or so ago and LOVED. I think he's also on at Woodford...
- deflating slightly over the last few days in the realisation that the reality of day-to-day life is soon to hit. Or worse than day-to-day stuff, the reality of MOVING HOUSE.
Which, for those of you who've been kind enough to wonder (and please forgive me for the lack of comment replying - I do read and love all your comments and e-mails but I've just been a little backward on the internet thing lately for obvious reasons!), we are moving house...not for the oh wow I've been given the dream career break of a lifetime reasons, but for the oh wow let's have some downtime and raise our family the way we've always wanted to reasons: and are thus moving to the beach.
HOOORRRAAAYYYY!!!!!!!
I'll write more about this after someone donates me a case of energy drinks - but for now, know that the plan is to move out of here in a week, then be gypsies for a month (thanks to our trusty van who's been christened Connie the Econovan) then move up to the Sunshine Coast for the next 6 months to a year. Then...who knows? There's a few very cool possibilities in the pipeline but for now I'm keeping my cards close to my chest. But it's all mega mega exciting.
Okay, I'm gonna go crash now so I don't crash tonight. The car, I mean. Wish me luck.
Monday, December 04, 2006
Awesome Kids and Trampolining Basil
So my gorgeous and thoughtful Mezz brought up the issue of the kids and how they've been enjoying the trip - it's not that I've been trying to ignore that side of things in my blog, it's just that I've been so damn flat out just blogging even a smidgeon of the career stuff (which I assume most people would rather read about than for instance, Ella's bowel updates) and just, you know, living life, that I realise I actually have overlooked it.
So...for those of you who care:
The kids have been awesome. If, by awesome, you mean 'LOVING the travel experience but throwing frequent tantrums and fighting over who gets to be in the middle.'
"In the middle of what?" you might ask.
Welcome to my world.
I have no idea what this elusive 'middle' is and why it is so important, but apparently it's worth fighting for. A lot.
But yeah...they've been awesome.
The past few days then in a nutshell:
Saturday
Met up with the lovely Rachel Hills for a morning cafe jaunt in Glebe, followed by a rain-soaked expedition to the markets with Tim and the kiddlies, then later that night hit the National TheatreSports Championships Grand Final, to which John Knowles (Head of Impro Australia) had so kindly offered me a free ticket. Talk about a production - wow. Aside from the actual improv itself, the presentation of the entire show, from the MCs to the scorers to the judges (all of whom were in French Revolution attire) was just schmick. Bravo. Bravo. Bravo.
Sunday
Decided to use our final morning in Sydney as my first opportunity to set my alarm by Queensland time (which for the uninitiated, is an hour behind Sydney time), thus resulting in a mad breakfast-neglected holy-crappified panicked trip (I think my exact words were "You dress the kids, I'll pack the stuff and let's get the hell outta here!") to catch our 9.06am train to go pick up our van.
We made our train and before embarking on our next driving jaunt, spent the morning hanging out with my gorgeous and inspiring friends Nick and Jemima (who actually used to be friends with my mum) in their magical cottage up in the rural hills of Mulgoa. Then onto a tantrum-filled drive up to my other friends' place in an absolutely cuter than cute little town...in fact, just plain GORGEOUS Tea Gardens. That's the name of the place, seriously. Isn't that so Enid Blyton? Or something?
Monday
Hung out more at Tea Gardens - which, if it weren't for being just a little too far from a major city and not having bigger surf, Tim and I agreed we would desperately love to move to - then drove up to Forster where we let the kids run riot at the beach (Ella has fallen completely head over heels for swimming in the sea-bath, or what the locals affectionately refer to as "the Bull Ring") and then were reunited with Tim's cousin Joel and his partner April's family - we cooked curry while the kids proceeded to pull apart the family's basil bush and jump with the leaves on the trampoline.
I gotta tell you - turns out trampolining herbs is surprisingly effective. Not only did it crush everything to perfection but the place smelt great.
Tomorrow
We're hanging out here for a bit, then driving north to some unknown destination to camp the night. Then Byron on Wednesday - I have a gig at Nimbin Wed night, then one at Bangalow Thursday night, then home again to Brisbane on Friday.
We then have a whole WEEK in which to pack up our house and move out.
"Moving where?" you might ask.
Well, that's going to be a whole new adventure.......
So...for those of you who care:
The kids have been awesome. If, by awesome, you mean 'LOVING the travel experience but throwing frequent tantrums and fighting over who gets to be in the middle.'
"In the middle of what?" you might ask.
Welcome to my world.
I have no idea what this elusive 'middle' is and why it is so important, but apparently it's worth fighting for. A lot.
But yeah...they've been awesome.
The past few days then in a nutshell:
Saturday
Met up with the lovely Rachel Hills for a morning cafe jaunt in Glebe, followed by a rain-soaked expedition to the markets with Tim and the kiddlies, then later that night hit the National TheatreSports Championships Grand Final, to which John Knowles (Head of Impro Australia) had so kindly offered me a free ticket. Talk about a production - wow. Aside from the actual improv itself, the presentation of the entire show, from the MCs to the scorers to the judges (all of whom were in French Revolution attire) was just schmick. Bravo. Bravo. Bravo.
Sunday
Decided to use our final morning in Sydney as my first opportunity to set my alarm by Queensland time (which for the uninitiated, is an hour behind Sydney time), thus resulting in a mad breakfast-neglected holy-crappified panicked trip (I think my exact words were "You dress the kids, I'll pack the stuff and let's get the hell outta here!") to catch our 9.06am train to go pick up our van.
We made our train and before embarking on our next driving jaunt, spent the morning hanging out with my gorgeous and inspiring friends Nick and Jemima (who actually used to be friends with my mum) in their magical cottage up in the rural hills of Mulgoa. Then onto a tantrum-filled drive up to my other friends' place in an absolutely cuter than cute little town...in fact, just plain GORGEOUS Tea Gardens. That's the name of the place, seriously. Isn't that so Enid Blyton? Or something?
Monday
Hung out more at Tea Gardens - which, if it weren't for being just a little too far from a major city and not having bigger surf, Tim and I agreed we would desperately love to move to - then drove up to Forster where we let the kids run riot at the beach (Ella has fallen completely head over heels for swimming in the sea-bath, or what the locals affectionately refer to as "the Bull Ring") and then were reunited with Tim's cousin Joel and his partner April's family - we cooked curry while the kids proceeded to pull apart the family's basil bush and jump with the leaves on the trampoline.
I gotta tell you - turns out trampolining herbs is surprisingly effective. Not only did it crush everything to perfection but the place smelt great.
Tomorrow
We're hanging out here for a bit, then driving north to some unknown destination to camp the night. Then Byron on Wednesday - I have a gig at Nimbin Wed night, then one at Bangalow Thursday night, then home again to Brisbane on Friday.
We then have a whole WEEK in which to pack up our house and move out.
"Moving where?" you might ask.
Well, that's going to be a whole new adventure.......
Friday, December 01, 2006
The Final Glass House Episode: a debrief
Oh boy. I don't even know where to start - at the risk of sounding like a completely conceited twat, the final night was just so filled with amazing moments that I'm hesitant to even try to recount it for the inevitability of omitting some cool bits. But...in short, the show was awesome, Tim and I watched it from the celebrity-filled green room (glasses of red in hand) and the biggest buzz ever (aside from congratulating Adam Spencer in person on getting away with calling Kyle Sandilands a c*** on national television) was seeing my sweated out jokes actually getting laughter - and occasionally even applause - from the audience. Whoa.
I also had the great privilege of videoing some behind-the-scenes action including the rehearsals for the final show. Other specific moments worth mentioning I will write here in bullet-point form, no less and in no particular order:
I also had the great privilege of videoing some behind-the-scenes action including the rehearsals for the final show. Other specific moments worth mentioning I will write here in bullet-point form, no less and in no particular order:
- rocked up a the ABC studios, walked straight past Dave Hughes in his dressing room, reading through the script. Dave wins my award for the friendliest famous person I've ever met - minutes later he strolled into the green room, looked at me and went "Hello! What's going on? What's your name?" and shook my hand. Later in the night when I went to say goodbye to him, he remembered my name and I told him "I've just given my hubby the biggest rap about you being not only the funniest but the friendliest comic I've met."
"Well, good!" he smiled.
I then pried my foot out of my mouth after realising I'd just said that as Arj Barker stood beside him.
"Hi Arj," I said, shaking his hand. - said hi to Corinne Grant (who, even though I'd met her before, I introduced myself to anyway - after a warning from my good friend and hilarious muso comic Dave Eastgate not to assume that famous people will remember you after a 5 minute meeting) who not only remembered me but let me get changed in her dressing room. Tres tres cool. As I approached her at the after-party to say goodbye, she was being gushed over by a young girl fan, who proceeded to thank her for not being prissy and worrying too much about how she looked, like some of the other guests (one of whom she named, but I won't). Corinne immediately stepped to said lady's defence - in a very nice and un-offensive way - which fully impressed me, given how passive aggressive us ladies can be at times.
- had a lovely time catching up with Fiona O'Loughlin (who really inspired me to go into comedy after seeing her on the Comedy Gala on TV a few years back) and told her I'm going to be supporting her at the Bangalow Big Joke Fest in February. She was all "that's fantastic! Oh I'm so glad you'll be there, we'll have a great time!"
- Georgie Parker got my other vote as one of the friendliest - if not a little hyper - celebs I've met. She caught my eye in the green room, smiled and said "Hello, I'm Georgie." We chatted for a bit, she told me about her kid "one's enough!" she laughed and her dismay at people calling her "Georgia" and other variations thereof.
I dunno...I'm starting to feel like a cheap media slorry just name-spilling like this. Kerry-Anne Kennerley seemed lovely and un-diva-like...what else? I dunno...suffice to say that indulging in the pre-show dinner buffet sitting shoulders' distance from Kochy, Merv Hughes, Rhys Muldoon and others was just a bit surreal. The coolest part was that Tim was more star-struck than I was. It's funny too, to think that this is my second celeb-filled function of the year (the first being the Comedy Fest Gala after-party), but this time it went up a notch, from just ogeling people I know from the telly to actually having conversations with them.
Wil was the last person I said goodbye to: "did you get any jokes in?" he asked, giving me a hug.
"Yeah, I did actually - that was awesome."
And on that note I'm chuffed to tell you that the jokes that made the final show included the closer of Wil's monologue: "Politicians called for the axeing of Big Brother but denied calling for the axeing of The Glass House - turns out you can turkey-slap on national television, so long as the turkey's not a member of Parliament"
and the final joke of the show, in the headlines:
Bracks: "Howard won election for me."
Howard: "Thought I was SMSing Australian Idol."
There was also one of the video clips in there about Beazley photocopying his arse, plus a bit of a smuttier one about Greg Norman and the Olsen twins that got a good laugh on the night but didn't make it to air!!
Then right at the end of the shooting of the episode, all of us in the Green Room got called in to go onstage for the finale streamered goodbye, which, as you'll know if you saw the episode, really involved so much confetti that I might as well have asked you to all "tune into the blizzard and look out for me in a black dress!" Hehe, oh well, it was certainly a buzz.
This was followed by the after-party upstairs in the ABC building for some speeches from all the guys, including this cracker from Dave Hughes: "I'd like to thank the ABC who were actually very supportive of us in our early years. They took us like a little seed, and watered us and helped us grow, and waited until we became like a beautiful oak tree...until deciding to sell us to the Japanese as mulch!"
I am so bummed I didn't have my camera there to capture the look on Courtney Gibson's (head of ABC Arts, Entertainment & Comedy) face.
All in all, what an unbelievable privilege, to be a witness to - and a part of - such a big event in TV.
I hope it's not all downhill from here.
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