Ditching mygayspace

Given I am over having hookers and salesmen asking to be "my friend" on myspace, I am relocating. Also, I am remotely sorta kinda connected now so better move offline. Although, he could buy Google tomorrow but I doubt they would let him.

Imported blog:

Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Care Packages
Ohhhhh, nearly time for a haircut.
I am also sending secret care package wishes to people who may work or live next to a major British supermarket chain who can send me some Sure roll on deodorant and some Illy coffee or even some British supermarket own label coffee (for expresso machines).
The sun is shining and is day 2 of work for a major news and media organisation.
Made WW turkey burgers last night and went to a jam session at The Jazz Spot in Brooklyn. Had a nice cup of tea.
"Drop off" service at the laundromat is amazing. Was $11.80 for 15 lbs of dirty stuff and everything came back folded and fabric softenered oh and clean...wish makes a change from when I do the laundry.

Kylie's range at H&M? Why Willy, Why?

Sunday, May 13, 2007
Rain on a Skylight is heaven
Weirdest weather although could be because I can't work out Fahrenheit to Celsius yet so keep getting it majorly wrong. Hot, humid, sunny days and then BUCKETS down endlessly at night. So much room for wardrobe malfunctions. I bought new galoshes/wellingtons/gumboots and yet they are still dry as a bone in my closet/wardrobe/cupboard cause I never know that it will rain in advance.
Went out last night in Greenwich Village. Nice bar with flock wallpaper (hello, is that not like soooo 4 years ago or at least "Queen Mother was still alive/just died" ago?). Got stuck at the wrong end of the D train and walked from Dekalb to Bedford with a plastic bag on head. Treated myself to a Leffe at the end of it.
The subway map needs a major redesign. Plus, a tip...there is no official map eg. A to Z or Melways. There is "Streetwise Manhattan" which comes in a variety of suburbs but not one pocket-sized handy map. I guess they like to test you or everyone has GPS or GPRS thingies and maps are a dying art.
Laundry Day today. Wow that comes round again so quickly...off to the laundromat/laundrette/clotheswashingshop.

Tuesday, May 01, 2007
First day of what???
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
Back to life, back to reality. I have a workout program at the Y. I have had food poisoning and thrown up in the middle of Hasidic Jewish Williamsburg on the Shabbat. A little girl called me a "Naughty Lady" and laughed. We are overjoyed to find that there is a Family Dollar in the street behind us. Have been exploring the neighbourhood and the blossoms are blooming.
One day left on the Chevy van auction, fingers crossed it meets the reserve.

Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Selling the Roadtrip Van Boo Hoo

Monday, April 23, 2007
Do the Right Thing
So we've moved to Brooklyn and love it already. Have furnished the apartment and unpacked. Didn't take long. Also joining the YMCA across the street which will make me break into song often.
Is kind of gentrifying although the chinese takeaway sells fish and chips which is odd. KFC moving in down the road plus Dunkin' Donuts (apparently that has the neighbourhood jumping with excitement). Very lively and lots of "stooping" - my word for hanging out on the pavement outside your house or on the steps of your brownstone. Everyone already knows who we are and also that our doorknob keeps falling off.
Need to get an airconditioner tomorrow. At least five people have said we won't cope without one.
Can't believe we are here!!!! Everything feels like something from a movie. Need to watch Do the Right Thing again.

Thursday, April 19, 2007
Phew
Think we have acclimatised to the big apple. Accidentally got nearly trapped into doing the Melanie Griffith Working Girl thing by living in Jersey City or Hoboken but have come to our senses. I had even thought of the spin - Frank Sinatra's birthplace and who else is more New York, New York plus they also invented baseball, the zipper and not to mention Bruce and Jon. It's still Jersey. It's a great place to buy and has loads of potential plus really pretty Sesame Street brownstones and friendly people but we came to do NY and NY we shall do. I have been living more like Desperately Seeking Susan for a while now so I don't mind some small space and a bit of character on the street. Listening to Born to Run last night made me realise most of the lyrics were about getting OUT of Jersey anyway so...
Everything in the property market is ridiculous expensive as you would probably guess. Fingers crossed the new flat goes through.

Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Chevy to the Levy
Ok so we're now in Virginia, have done about six thousand miles. Have even had to have an oil change and lube job. Sounds sexual but it isn't. At officially the noisiest campsite ever - backs onto a train line and those freight trains go on for miles.
Have been danger sleeping (car parks at supermarkets, beaches, rest areas on interstates...) as well as doing proper State Park and RV campgrounds in order to stretch the budget as much as possible.
Have had to give up the ramen or two minute noodles habit as we think we may have developed an MSG allergy. We love Dollar Tree - everything truly is a dollar! Also my favourite supermarket so far has been Harris Teeter in Virginia Beach, VA. They had hand sanitizing cloths for the shopping trolleys handles. Nice.
Currently in Williamsburg, Virginia. Place where the English first landed 400 years ago this year. Went to Hooters as a special treat (for who??) today. Kent really wants me to get a job there but I think I'm holding out for Walmart as I'm not a fan of American Tan tights (or orange or chicken wings for that matter!).
Have done a lot of the key sites in the South. Gone with the Wind territory (Savannah, Charleston etc) and Graceland, Dollywood, Nashville...also a fair bit of beach along the Gulf Coast. New Orleans was gorgeous - we stayed in an RV park occupied by FBI and police who were waiting for their homes to be rebuilt. Thanks to the staff at Dante's Kitchen and particularly to Julia who hooked us up with some tickets to a great gig after a great meal.
Really bad damage from Rita and Katrina along the coast. Very sad, lots of homeless people living in their cars oops that's us at the moment too!
So, we're all official now. Have social security number, green card, bank account, and had to do a driving test eek. Apparently my parallel park was faultless.
I have loyalty cards for Winn Dixie, Piggly Wiggly and Food Lion supermarkets. I'm totally getting into the American way of life. The only exercise we seem to get these days is walking the floor of Walmart and advertisers really have a big challenge here - the secret to success is managing to get people off the interstate and out of the car. Big signs help!
Still trying to track down an RV park in Manhattan...

Sunday, March 18, 2007
SXSW
Category: Music
Wow, am absolutely shattered from four days of Austin. Brilliant town, similar to bits of Fortitude Valley with a touch of Melbourne and a sprinkling of bats.
Lead singer of You Am I smiled DIRECTLY at me at least 4 times so that was nice.
Met some great people (including a lovely couple who drove me through a drive thru fast food restaurant as they wouldn't serve me unless I was in a car!!) - take a look at Erik's movie www.myspace.com/rubystown
Thanks to Darrell and Dave who were great tour guides and gave us a brilliant intro to the city of Austin. Photos to be uploaded shortly of some funny camera phone angles.
It was also great to catch up with Pete (as in http://www.petesimple.com or http://www.myspace.com/folkboxing) and Miranda at the Houston showcase at Gueros Taco Bar on South Congress. Really lovely day sitting in the sun, sipping frozen margaritas and eating complementary nachos!!


Wednesday, February 21, 2007
rollin rollin rollin
Well second attempt at this blog post, it couldn't take the link to our new car.
Have a google/ebay search to see - it's white with blue velour interior and so much Brady Bunch/Chevy Chase wood panelling it hurts.
G20 Chevrolet Starcraft Conversion Van 1992. We are ready to roll. Turns into a bed and there are two captain chairs with arm rests etc. Plus drink holders and footrests galore. AM radio and cassette. It is so Americana perfecto it nearly makes me weep.
Road movie, coffee table book and accompanying soundtrack to be released shortly...
kinda similar but different year and ours is blue
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1987-CHEVY-G-20-CONVERSION-VAN-CLEAN-S-W-DESERT-VAN_W0QQitemZ320083393635QQihZ011QQcategoryZ39411QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Gotta motor, off to Walmart to get some camping gear and cigarette lighter rechargeable appliances. I hate camping...what on earth are we doing????? Woo Hoo!!

Monday, February 19, 2007
wifi enabled and ready to roll
Hi from Texas where everything is THE BIGGEST or at least in the TOP FIVE BIGGEST of EVERYTHING. It is reminding me big time of country NSW with a touch of Yarralumla in the residential areas which is unfortunate but a lot more tex mex and a lot less ACTION buses and chico rolls.
We're liking it so far. Have laptop, will travel. Looking into buying a car of some description for a road trip to New Orleans to meet Philippe. Then we'll do a circuit round the deep south until the snow melts in NYC. We may end up at Philippe's in Washington (although he does not know this yet!!) to sell car before hitting the biggest smoking apple there is. Aiming to get a video camera (with me behind rather than in front of lens naturally) with some potentially funny road trip tales. Or not. Depends if anything happens on the way.
Vegas was a blast, like Blackpool in many ways but no donkeys or toothless freaks. We will go back. Saw Ka cirque du soleil, fell asleep. Not really my thing to be honest. Big Elvis was amazing, danced with him, got a sweaty kiss and shook some maraccas. Got renewedly wed by a hawaiian minister and a little old jesus badge-wearing lady organist as witness. Elvis walked past twice to say hey. Mud wrestling and free shots was the culmination of an eventful trip. As I said, we will be back to the Vegas.
Back to the bar be que - it is my turn to flip the steak. Kent is telling me off for my southern drawl already... loadsa love xxm