2008 - In a cavalcade of anger and fear

There's a song that I really like by The Mountain Goats called This Year. It's has a cute melody but the part I like is the very basic lyrics in the chorus - "I am going to make it through this year, if it kills me, if it kills me." 

Many times over the course of this year I have thought that this song would make the perfect soundtrack to a highlights film of 2008, especially a film of the soap opera year that was 2008 for Wapol. You know the ones I'm talking about, those montages of silent clips with a track laid over the top, optimising the use of fades and slow motion. You see them at the end of sports tournaments on TV; at the end of the Olympics, after the final match of the Australian Open and so on. If I had a film crew following me through 2008, the soundtrack to my montage would be This Year.

2008 has been a year of highlights. A lot of these have been Band Club related; my first practice with the band in July, the Scotland trip and the great results at North Berwick, Perth, of course the place in the finals at the Worlds, and the Australian Championship win in Sydney in November. - However, all of these came with their fair share of lowlights. There are, of course, many other highlights that bring with them great memories. The most recent would have been a BBQ we had at the beach in celebration of me getting a year older. Sun, friends, a meat overload and an old cricket set = good times.

Without dwelling on the lowlights, it really feels if there have been more than usual over the past 12 months and perhaps it was just my mindset, but 2008 was tricky year in terms of dealing with small setbacks that seemed to enjoy piling up and getting on top of me. Putting a positive spin on all this, I guess that having to deal with the setbacks has made me a stronger person and will hopefully make small issues in the future seem trivial.

I've met some pretty special people over the course of 2008, many of whom I feel like I have known for a lot longer than a few months. I am so fortunate to have friends who are good people - whether they are new friends or ones that I have known for a while. 

With the notification tonight of a setback to kick off the new year, and a nice helping of frustration and emotion just before Christmas, I guess I need to be grateful for 2008. As much as I can be disappointed right now that someone's selfish decisions are going to make things difficult for a short period, I am happy in the thought that if this pickle of a situation had been thrown at me at the start of the year I wouldn't have been able to deal with it as well. So I guess I am then grateful for 2008 being one of the tougher years I have had emotionally. - For the lowlights that have taught me a thing or two, for the setbacks that get in the way but make you use a bit of ingenuity to work through,  for the realisation that sometimes life doesn't just fall into place and that sometimes you have to admit that you are wrong. 

So I've made it through this year. Almost. I'm looking forward to another batch of highlights coming up with Christmas knocking on my door and visitors from over East arriving very soon. What's also exciting is that 2009 is shaping up to be an interesting one. Who knows where I'll be in 6 months time. 

But what's really going to be interesting is what the soundtrack to my 2009 montage is going to be.  

The Status Update - The 21st Century's Perfect Way to Make A Point

Facebook is a wonderful tool. In fact, I don't think I can say a bad thing about it. It's intuitive and once you find your way around it it's the perfect tool for keeping in touch with people and staying in the loop.

Something that has become apparent of late is the quite humorous theme of Facebook users using their status' to make a point. Often used to get at someone or a group of people without going directly to them and stating their case or airing their grievance, these particular updates used to frustrate me when I was a part of the group they were referring to. However now, they are predicatively petty, boringly immature and make myself and the happy people I choose to surround myself with scoff at their negativity.

But what an interesting self-marketing tool! I find myself picking from my list of the few 'serial sad statusers' most days to see what dribble they have picked over all of the positive things going on in their lives to tell the world about. Diddums. If they just had boring statuses I wouldn't bother, so I guess congratulations are in order for mastering Facebook Marketing 101.

I know I am opening myself up to some serious backlash from this blog post but wouldn't it be funny if this post spurred someone on to change their status to something along the lines of:
"Johnbob hates it when sad people who have nothing to do with their sad lives blog about what people put on their Facebooks." Defensive? Of course not!

Just remember when you're having a shitty day that there is always someone worse off than you. Always. Pick the things that make you happy and tell the world about that. That's what your friends want to read about. Life is full of setbacks, it's how you handle the setbacks that matters.

Happy Facebooking!

Oh the pain!

PND - Post Natal Depression? No. Post Nationals Depression. This is an illness that I claim to have invented myself. (Or at least, the acronym.) The feelings of sadness, loss and lonely confusion that encompasses you after a national pipe band championship.

The New Zealand nationals are most definitely the highlight of the pipe banding year at home, and in the days that follow the nationals, I have been known to self-diagnose myself with PND. It comes from seeing some of your favourite people in a brief and fleeting rush at the after-match function and knowing that it's probably going to be months before you see them again. It's the buzz of winning a prize after months of hard work. It's the team work. It's the music. It's just great.

Branches of PND that also often occur on an annual basis are the illnesses of PPD and PWD. - Post Palmy Depression and Post Worlds Depression, the latter of which I suffered with for an abnormal length of time (read: at least a month) after the best and most successful trip of my pipe banding life to Scotland with The Band Club.

But it's this time of the year that I would usually be dreading the PPD. Today is the annual Palmerston North Square Day competition in New Zealand and for the second year in a row I'm not there. Palmy often comes extremely close to overtaking the nationals as the highlight of my year as it's always a good laugh in the Celtic afterwards and often a good catch up after not seeing the good pipe band people of New Zealand since March at the nationals.

But as I sit here waiting for the grade one results to come in, anxiously jealous of everyone in the Square, I ponder on the thought as to what is worse: Any kind of post-competition depression, or not actually being there. Missing out on Palmy this year isn't as bad as last year due to knowing that I will be at the nationals in March, (also because I know I'm hitting the beach this afternoon!) but I really would love to be there. Hearing new grade one medleys, catching up with everyone, impromptu girly group chats in the toilets. What more could you want?

So my pick right now is the post competition depression is the worse of the two. My PWD and PND from the Aussie Nationals seemed to last forever and I'm not feeling as down as I thought I would about not being in Palmerston North right now.

Either way, I hope it was a great day for all and that your hangovers tomorrow are painful and make the trip home dismal! - Just the way the day after Palmy Square Day should be!

Pluto. More than just a Pup

So I have this soft toy. I'm not too ashamed to admit it. I've had it since I was two years old and I'm not sure where it came from or even if my Granny made it. Perhaps it was simply a gift from my parents purchased from a shop somewhere. What I do know is that it's name is Pluto.

Now I have refrained from referring to Pluto's gender up until now but Pluto is most definitely a male. He has graced me with his presence on my bed for over 20 years now and has never been far from me. I brought him to Perth with me and will take him back to New Zealand but it's from there that I have to make a potentially hard decision. Do I take him with me overseas?

What may seem to you like a simple decision is proving to be quite difficult. Of course, in this era of 'cabin baggage only' and 20kg weight restrictions, every gram I travel with will be at a premium. And of course it seems obvious to leave Pluto in the safe care of my Mum at home in Taupo. However, I fear that parting with Pluto is going to be harder than I think. Yes, this is truly ridiculous.

I don't cuddle Pluto when I go to bed, I'm not entirely sure of his purpose but I do know that I am extremely attached to him and his cute grumpy face. Must. Let. Go.

So that's it, I've made my decision. What will life be like post-Pluto? I'll let you know.

The Bain of Every December.

As they say, it's that time of the year again and like every year, Christmas is approaching faster than ever. December always seems to be a busy month for most, with Christmas parties, perhaps deadlines at work, a few pipe band competitions and the drama that is Christmas shopping.

Now I will happily pronounce that I am officially useless at buying presents for people. I leave it to the last minute, find myself trying to save money at every opportunity and very rarely know what to buy each person I intend to purchase for.

For the last couple of years I've had a number of small contingency plans. Last year it was to buy everyone in New Zealand DVDs of televisions programmes from Australia that I liked and that thought they might also enjoy, especially if they couldn't get them at home. The upside with DVDs is that they don't cost an arm and a leg to send and they conveniently fit through most people's mailbox. The downside is that's a little bit boring and I can't unfortunately do it again this year.

So with my up and coming visit in New Zealand, I have already organised with my Mum that we will get our gifts for each other when I am there. Sorted. One person down, a whole lot of others to go.

Then there's always the question of the people who fit into grey areas. Do I buy so and so a present? What happens if I don't and they've got something for me? The stress of it all is unbelievable at a time when we're supposed to be remembering something religious, not remembering what time Target is closing tonight.

So I'm off to make a start on the shopping today as it's a Monday and I have a day off. I'm going to avoid weekend shopping like the plague. I've got ideas for two people and a 'couple' present for some good friends. That's it though. I need inspiration. I need everyone's wish lists. What I need is Santa's elves.

Fingers crossed this isn't an unpleasant experience where the credit card bears the brunt of my frustration!

You always remember your first time...

I've meant to write a blog for a while now and have always lacked the motivation to start one and see it through to be something that people might actually want to read. Why would people want to read about me? Sure, interesting things happen on a day-to-day basis but what sets them apart from anyone else's everyday experiences?

Perhaps now I have actually managed to create this blog because I feel that over the next few months (at least) I might have a fair bit to write about. Big changes all over the show!

So, here I am in Perth, Western Australia. I'm a proud Kiwi and came to Perth chasing after a good-looking Aussie bagpiper in May 2007 after meeting on a pipe band trip to China. (Now there's a story for a later blog.) To cut a long story short, I've been single since May 2008 and have been plotting my next move for the last couple of months, not sure where to head to next. Stay in Perth? Move back to New Zealand? Go overseas? Indecisiveness leads you naturally to ask yourself what your priorities are - money, lifestyle, career? Getting that bit sorted surely gives you a bit more direction.

Taking the time to think about those options I have come to the conclusion right now that my priority isn't money, and it's not to get a career off the ground. Staying in Perth is a viable option and is tempting for the finances, potential career opportunities and the lifestyle, but I've always struggled a bit with living in a reasonably large city. (Yes, I know Perth is small compared to most cities but if you know Taupo and Wellington you will hopefully understand how I find Perth overbearing at times!)

Moving to New Zealand would be great but perhaps not just yet, as shifting from WA with its resources boom, to a country currently in recession isn't going to come without a bit of culture/lifestyle shock.

What's left? Travel. I've wanted to travel since I was at high school and decided to get a degree instead, so that put the globetrotting off for three years. Then I got a job, then graduated and conveniently met said bagpiper and moved to Perth. 18 months later my feet are itching. So travel it is.

This is where it all starts. All I need to do is chuck in the job, sort out my stuff, book the flights, sort out the visas, pack, say my goodbyes and I'm sorted. Sounds easy? I'm absolutely certain it's not going to be, so this blog will hopefully start off by documenting the highs and lows of preparing for a big life change, and then will hopefully be something fun to read when the big trip is kicked off at the start of February.

And the itinerary for this trip? Right now in typical Libby fashion I hardly have any plans. But so far It's going to be Perth to Taupo around the start of February for a bit of R&R in one of my favourite places, with some of my favourite people. Then down the island visiting friends and family along the way before spending some time in gorgeous Wellington. From there it's down to Christchurch in time for the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships at the start of March. And then the fun really starts - Auckland to London and into the big wide world. Who knows where to from there!

Stay tuned, it's likely to have aspects of a soap opera but it sure is going to be fun!