An insight into our lives...

I thought that as I got older I'd get wiser.  I think I'm just growing more sceptical as years pass, though.

I read the paper online most days because our local paper is not worthy of my $1.10 outlay for it - even on a Saturday, and because I don't want to contribute to the cutting down unnecessarily cutting down of trees to produce such nonsense.  

I came across an article about Kanye West and his new teeth.  Firstly, I only know two Kanye West songs (the Touch the Sky one where he is Evel Knevel, and the other is the Gold Digger song because my husband's step-mother could easily have been the inspiration for the lyrics).  Secondly, he's not my sort of music anyway; but I'm so over these musicians who feel they need to flaunt their excesses.  He talks about how this kind of nonsense is what is expected of rock stars - HE IS NOT A ROCK STAR!  Led Zeppelin, The Rollingstones, Jimi Hendrix and the like are rock stars even if they did live to excess I admit(okay, off your soap box now girl).  

What I expect from 'stars' of today is to have an appreciation and gratitude for where they are and for the 'fans' who got them there. Otherwise, they'd be nobodies with maybe some talent and that's about it.  I want them to genuinely have a social conscience and act on it for altruistic reasons rather than egotistical and publicity reasons.  I know there are those who act quietly and out of the spotlight for whatever purposes, but I have misgivings out of those who turn something like community service into a media event so they can be seen as a modern day Mother Teresa or, heaven-forbid, a 21st century Jesus.

I'm so over 'celebrity' lately.  I'm watching and listening to The Princess talk to me about the latest happenings of Justin, Kourtney and whoever else.  I hear her talk about these people as if they are close, personal friends of hers, and I know that while I was probably no different to her at her age, I am sure my 'stars' were referred to by their whole name (unless it was Madonna or Prince).   I look at the magazine covers in the shops and ask myself, why on earth would anyone want to know about the latest 'adventures' of people like Lindsay Lohan or Paris Hilton, let alone want to emulate them?  They are not the sort of role models I want for my children. 

The Princess and I are big Hannah Montana fans, but we don't like Miley Cyrus or the image she is portraying to her mostly pre-teen fan base.  We love Taylor Swift and I think the concert The Princess and I saw her put on earlier this year was one of the best I've seenother than Prince's Diamonds and Pearls one that I got told off by journalists in front of me for squealing too loud at).  

But, then again, maybe I'm just being a tad hypocritical.  I threw a 'please marry me' note onstage to Boy George at a Culture Club concert (my first grown-up concert as a teenager).  I faithfully wore my 'Choose Life' t-shirt and fluoro-colored socks during my Wham! months, or my tube skirts, teased hair and rubber bracelets during my Madonna faze.  I even had a long purple trench coat that I covered the shoulders on in purple sequins after I saw Purple Rain for the millionth time (and yes, I do own the dvd, but haven't been able to find the Under a Cherry Moon movie or cd anywhere...)   

I wonder if those days, my days, were more innocent because we didn't have up-to-the-millisecond information on our celebrities.  

I wonder if I'm turning into my mother.  Or my grandmother.

Do we need such constant information?  I know it's handy in event of an emergency, like if a cyclone is bearing down towards you.  But sometimes I get so sick of hearing about world disasters non-stop. I admit to being glued to the television on the day of and after September 11 2001, but I was one month off giving birth to Little Man and I was wondering what kind of new world was I bringing him into.  

Yes, I did watch Princess Diana's funeral as it was telecast live, as I did for Steve Irwin.  I even tuned in periodically recently to the live broadcast of the bringing up of the first Chilean miner. But do we really need to know everything and as it happens?  Do we need to know every time some D-grade 'celebrity' passes wind or visits a clothes shop?  I don't think so.  

Everywhere I go I see gossip being passed off as legitimate news. I'm over it.  I want it to stop.  Maybe this is why I love camping with my family in the middle of nowhere for a week or so - it's kind of like a news detoxification in a way.  There should be more of it. Unless they personally discover a cure for HIV or the cold or cancer, let's have a 'celebrity' free news day.  That'd be lovely.  

On the other hand, I've warned Little Man and The Princess to get right out of my way if I see Goofy at Disneyland or they'll be trampled.  Now that is one celebrity I'd love to meet!

What a week!

I worked three days this week, which is great because we've decided to save up and splurge on a big holiday next year.

Right now, I'm very grateful for work as it's a means to an end - our holiday.  We thought we'd go to Disneyland as we'd seen a package advertised for around $3,500 for a family of four for 5 nights including airfare, accommodation and park admission.  We passed on the package so we can go later next year and save some more.  So now, we're in the process of booking a 7 night Disney cruise to Mexico's Riviera, then later add to it do Disneyland, visit some family in the northern states of the U.S, visit Las Vegas and then head back to L.A for more of the big "must-do's".  This is really our last chance to do it before The Princess and Little Man get too cool to be seen to do 'daggy' stuff with their parents!  I cannot promise that I won't get too excited when I finally get face-to-face with my idol, Goofy!

In preparation for this big event, I bought the $21 challenge book in the hope of saving money on groceries.  It occurred to me the other day that I have been spending so much money on groceries that we're not eating.  I think it's out of habit more than anything.  I'm aiming to spend no more than $125 to start with, then progressively lower the amount from there.  But then again - that may all go out the window if the predictions of an intense cyclone season this year come to fruition, then I'll have to stock up for the inevitable flooding on the highways preventing the delivery trucks accessing our part of the world.

It's been rather overcast for the past couple of days here.  There's promise of rain but it doesn't eventuate.  I hope it comes soon; I've been putting off planting some rosella, amaranth and winged bean seedlings until rain is a certain so I don't have to water so much.  It must be coming soon; the frogs have been deafening at night, the rain birds have been calling non-stop, the ants invading the house are bigger and the gum trees are dropping their bark like mad.  The termite highways have also been busy and they're all in danger of being fined with speeding in their quest to make new nests.

I love the build up to the wet season, but I'm sure it didn't start this early last year!