A Work In Progress

I have spent the last two days packing with the help of my wonderful Mum. Now I feel all ready for the movers who will arrive this Friday. And then I will finally be in my new house!! I am so excited!!! Today is a holiday, which is great as I can chill out and just do nothing Well I guess I should do something, but doing nothing can be so much fun!!

I asked my friend to see if he could photoshop my corporate photo. This is what he came back with....... I love my friends.

For those of you who do not know, FOMO stands for Fear Of Missing Out. And that is what I am suffering from today. Today I left my cell at home. I am lost without it.  I logically realise that when I get home, there will not be a billion missed calls or urgent texts for me, and yet I still feel slightly panicked that there might be! I clearly remember back to a time when I did not have a phone (circa 1995) but now I struggle to go a day without checking out my emails on it, tweeting about my lunch, or using viber to talk to a friend overseas.  That urge to tell someone (anyone) what you are doing is strange. I guess it helps us to feel important, and feel that what we do, even the mundane things, are interesting. So today I will try to get through my FOMO and maybe I will try and leave my phone at home more often so that I can learn to not be so attached to it. Maybe. Probably not.

So today I got my corporate photos back. You know, the ones that were taken by the photographer who did not like my hair or my smile, or my face. Turns out he had good reason. The photos look HIDEOUS.  As my best friend put it "You look really old". The thing is, these photos are going to be used on our work website. Oh Christ. I am not in a happy place right now. Here is the best of what is a horrible collection.....please be nice.

I really do. Who else would give up their Saturday to help me get started on packing and bring yummy bakery treats!  She is so cool and generous and I am lucky that she supports me through my tendency to freak out with change and lets me talk about random things that matter to me and even brings my cats presents (Penne says thank you, Tui says thank you too but she is waiting for her brother to stop hogging the new bed before she can really be grateful). So we have made a start. Spare bedroom all done, kitchen has begun. Tomorrow I finish sorting out the new house so it is ready for the arrival of all my crap (I mean precious belongings). Then over the next week I need to get everything in boxes - all very achievable and I feel pretty calm about the process. Oh and while I am thanking people (ooh this is like an Oscars speech, I wish I had won something). Anyway, one more thank you to a friend who has been listening to me go on about all this even when he has his own stresses ...

Not only am I moving house but I am also moving offices. The thing I like about our current offices is that there is a cafe in the lobby which makes good coffee in large cups. I go there two to three times a day. I realise this habit is known by the owners (who now call me by name and start to make my coffee before I even say anything) but today I was reminded that other people notice as well. I got into the lift with my second cup of coffee today and the concierge from the lobby got in as well. He looked at me and said "Gosh, how are you going to cope in your new building where there is no coffee shop in the lobby?"

Doctor: So how is your diet going? Me: I am a bit annoyed cause I am trying so hard to exercise and eat less and I am still fat. I wish I would get some results. Doctor: Yeah and you are fat evenly all over and not just in one place. Awkward silence. Me: Ummm, yep. All over. Doctor: Hmmmmm Me: Yep, perfectly proportioned, just large. At that point we both laughed. Now before anyone gets upset, he was just trying to ensure that I don't have any medical issues but bless him it came out wrong. So I will keep on exercising and maybe one day I will be gorgeous on the outside as well as on the inside!

To be fair, I am judging me. Also, the honey seems out of place. Especially when you know that I have no bread.

So as I mentioned in my previous post, I am moving house. There a lot to do and my natural instinct is to do it all myself. After all, that has been what I have done for the last eight years while overseas, so nothing should change now. What I failed to appreciate is that some of my friends and family actually want to help. Strange isn't it? So I am trying to balance those lovely offers with my need to be independent.  The compromise I have reached is that I will get help packing my old house, but will pay for movers to do the actual shifting. I will unpack myself but will accept help if offered. I will accept help to sort out the garden at the old house but will clean and rent it out by myself. Etc etc... I know that it seems strange to struggle with help being offered, but after being on your own for so long, it is hard to accept that people offer help, not because they think you are not capable, but because they genuinely want to support you.  Clearly I am blessed...

 Taupo My new necklace that my Mum made for me. Kate and her Make Up Barbie Christmas Dinner One of the three fine days we had! Out on the Lake Molly!!

Wow, time had flown. I apologise for not keeping you up to date with things, but time has really gotten away from me. So first up, I had a lovely Christmas and New Years. Spent time in Taupo with the family, and while it rained torrentially a lot of the time, we still managed to have a lovely holiday. My new house is finished - the walls have all been freshly painted and it looks awesome. I can't wait to move in.  Unfortunately, now the hard work starts. I have to admit that I am feeling quite overwhelmed about the whole thing. I was quite spoilt with my last move from Melbourne as I had professional packers. This time, the packing falls to me. Eeeeek! I have to clean the new house before I move in as it is covered in dust from the renovations. The fun does not end there as when I move, I need to go back to clean the old house so I can rent it (and then need to find tenants).  And of course, the most fun (she says sarcastically) is the gardening I have to do in both house...