Hot water bottle

This is an analogy that I've been thinking about lately. It's not written about anyone - I just like hot water bottles.

Our relationship was like someone holding a hot water bottle. At the start, you were so warm, and I would hold you, taking in your heat. Though the rest of the world was cold, you kept me snug, and I held you tightly, selfishly.
Over time though, things changed. I still felt the need for you, but you'd cooled. What I felt as a warm touch from you was merely heat that my own body had given. I tried to keep us both warm, but the cold inside you was too great.

Life as a dream

So last night, I met a really beautiful girl. We bumped in to each other in the library, and she dropped her things. We looked at each other, and I felt my heart swell, and I knew she felt the same way.
I woke up, and felt really confused. Was that a dream - or was I remembering it? Later in the night, I was dreaming (again?) and thought, no, that had really happened. When I woke up this morning, it took some time to figure out that it had all been a dream. A dream-within-a-dream.
Lately that's how my sleeping's been. Long days of study, punctuated with night time where the things I learn swirl around in my head.
And then the days are what follow the night - whimsical ideas flit about as I review the diversity of flowers.

I always find study so overwhelming, emotionally. I just sit down and learn, and the 'thinking/learning' part of my brain churns away. Meanwhile, the 'emotional/contemplative' part throws curveballs at my conciousness.

Exam time

Exams are coming up, and I've been studying hard. I've changed to studying biology (from astronomy), and I'm really loving it. And working hard. So, unlike the last study period which saw the genesis of this blog, there probably won't be many posts here in the next few weeks.
Probably.
Anyway, I hope you are well. I've been studying dinosaurs and flowers, which is all I could really wish for.

This evening...

Has been rather productive. I went grocery shopping, which was long overdue. You'll be glad to know I bought a new jar of peanut butter, yummmm.

Then I got crafty. I made a mix CD of twee music for a friend who had not heard of twee. She likes hardcore, so that should be interesting...

And a card for someone special, featuring Napoleon Dynamite.

A cave had mysteriously appeared in my room a few days ago, and this evening it enveloped my bed!

I needed some light to see while I was in the cave, so I made a lampshade out of 'Another Box of Candy Tops' (I found this at an Asian supermarket. I don't know what they are, but they sound dazzling)

And inside the cave, there were animals everywhere!

I'm looking forward to dreaming tonight

Peanut butter and 50 posts

So this is the fiftieth post on this blog. I kind of wanted it to be a little more heart-felt than this one is, but I also think this is quite fun. And odd. I have something rather meaningful that I'll try write soon.

I guess one of my quirks is that when I finish a jar of peanut butter, I don't throw it away. I guess I intend to scrape the jar out at some later point. Things got kind of ridiculous recently when I found that I had very little room in my cupboard.

Because there were ten empty jars of peanut butter

This was far more embarrassing than I'd imagined. I had no idea how bad my habit had become. On the up side, from this collection I managed to gather a lot of peanut butter

So that turned out okay. It's always a shame when you get to the end of a jar, and you're forced to run the knife around the inside, and smear a thin layer of PB on to your bread. This of course gives way to the reckless exuberance when you get a new jar, and spread a fifth of the jar on one piece.

Letters

I sent Beth a letter. It was Fastpost, and I put two Fastpost stickers on it. It really seemed to give the post people a hurry up.

The last letter I received was from my poppa. He is my fathers father, and I had written him a letter. Enclosed within it was a card to my gran, who shares the birthday with myself and my twin sister Kate. In fact, when Kate and I turned 6 on Sep 6th, gran turned 60.

Unfortunately, she now has Alzheimer's. I never used to be worried by that disease - people age, and probably won't last forever. But of course, it's so different when it happens to someone you love. Seeing my gran (and my late nana), who has lived this amazingly strong, dignified life, be brought down by her own mind is heart-breaking.

I cried as I wrote the letter to my poppa. He is probably the person I respect the most, and I can only hope to be thought of by others as I highly as I think of him. I cried when I read his reply.

Things and things

It's been an eventful week. Last Sunday I had a picnic with my friend Chloe. It was really nice, and I asked her out. She said yes, and I was happy because she's perfect 'on paper'. However, we broke up with out actually going out, which is good, because neither of us were actually ready to be in a relationship. Real life can be tricky. Who knows?

I went to the Silver Scrolls last week. It was an amazing night, and Lawrence Arabia won! I'm glad I bet on the right horse. Morgan from RDU filmed a review of the night.

Last Friday was the RounDUp Grand Final, and was won by Sleepy Age, which I was very happy with.

I've been writing an animal behaviour essay about mate choice. Oh, the animals. They know a thing or two about relationships. I'm not having much luck picking up tips, though I do get to read books with titles like 'Sexual Selection'.

It feels like I've been going in circles a bit with Beth lately. Being really honest about how I'm feeling is probably a good thing, but when I'm feeling as flippant as I have been lately, it usually involves me trying to explain how I really feel. Right now. It does feel like I've made some good realisations though, and she has been all too sweet trying to help figure out what's going on.

Radio

When I moved to Christchurch in 2007, I decided to get involved with RDU, the b-Net station. I helped out a bit, doing promotional work during Orientation Week at uni. When the station found out I studied astronomy, I began doing a segment called Astroboy on Breakfast with Kate Gorgeous.

That was heaps of fun, and after I while, I ended up learning the ropes, and getting my own show.

After hosting a bunch of different shows, I started on Wednesday Drive. That was a year ago.

I find it quite surprising to be on the radio - I couldn't of imagined doing this before I moved to Chch. And at the same time, it's something I really love. It's been great learning as I go, rather than at Broadcasting School. My style has been described as 'earnest', which I guess is how I am most of the time.

Tomorrow is my one year anniversary of Drive, and I've got a great show planned. I'll be talking with Nick and Sarah from Einstein Music Journal, Lawrence Arabia is dropping by to say 'hi', I'll be previewing the Silver Scrolls (which I get to go to, yeah!), and the Grand Final of RounDUp - as well as my favourite tracks of the last year. Woah!

You can tune in Wednesday, 4-7pm NZST, on 98.5fm, or www.rdu.org.nz

Los Campesinos!

Los Campesinos! are my favourite band. Ever. I just love them so much. It feels like my life won't be complete until I see them live.
I could gush about them no end, but I'll keep it short. They have a new album out in a few months, and have just released a new song, called The Sea Is A Good Place To Think Of The Future.
Pretty awesome stuff.

Twenty Five

Last Sunday, I turned 25. It was a really nice day. I had lunch with Sophie, afternoon tea with Rose, and dinner at the flat.
I'm not sure what to make of it all. I wouldn't of imagined I'd be where I'm at now at 25, but I wouldn't want to change anything. My life before moving to Christchurch was very different and challenging (and mysterious, to most of you). Things in the last few years have been amazing.
It feels like a revelation might be around the corner. When does the life you live make sense in the present?

The Friday before my birthday, I donated blood. Auspiciously, it was my 25th donation, and I got a free umbrella. Well, I guess it cost me about 12 litres of blood. If you're able to, please consider donating blood - it's incredibly selfless and altruistic.

I made a present for my sister (she's my twin, it was her birthday also), it was a crocheted purse. I didn't photograph it, but I'm working on something else that I will show you when it's done.
Also, last Saturday, there was a screen-print-a-thon at my flat. Here's what I made...

Beth has been in Chisthchurch for the last few days. We've caught up a few times. I think things have been going really well. We had a lovely day in the gardens on Monday, climbing trees, feeding ducks, and taking photos.

It was like a friendship date.

And last night we met up for tea.

She's amazing. I told her that I tell people that I liked her so much because she saw the world in the same way as I do.

I know we will be great friends.

A cycle trip

When I moved to Christchurch in 2007, I cycled. It was an amazing trip, and I blogged about it here