This is just a blog for thoughts - songs that are speaking to me, pics from where I've been today, or projects on the drawing board. Just a random outlet. An area of free association. Comments welcome - though anon's are discouraged please. Enjoy your stay & come again. Please note: The content of this blog does not represent the views of any organisations to which I belong. disclaimer
the pirate girl
coeval happenings reading: Moab is my Washpot - Stephen Fry listening to:Napalm & Silly Putty - George Carlin travelling/staying in:SA, NSW & Vic - depending when you catch me
Let's call today: 'Friday 30 June 2006'
pirategirl
wrote in the notebook:
Be warned again, thar be bragging ahead matey.
My retail shoot in Broken Hill (not the Fundraiser where all the little brats hung out) averaged $200+ per customer in sales. Eligibility for a commission kicks in after $70 average. So I am rather chuffed with my pay this week. Yeah, take that ye-who-shall-not-be-named-coworker. Tell me I have to learn what sells will ya? I feh upon you!
A little over a year ago I was in almost the same place. But I was a little more different then, and not set to walk this path so soon. I think I'm ready now, my feet can try this road again. But I still have to be careful, the last time I began this journey so happy I reached the end sad again. I bear no new marks since that end and I would like to come out as I came in.
I saw a customer lastweek with her own pain marked out against her tan. I instinctively wanted to run my fingers over it, and say 'I know'. I've been there. But I'm not going back. Just watch me.
I walked through the airport alone I looked at my phone 'cause it keeps me company. I called you as I hired the car To ask you how far is it there from you to me And I wrote directions on the back of an old magazine.
But you are too beautiful to be in bed with me. Yeah you are too beautiful to be in bed with me. If you could see the faults I see If you could see my faults baby you'd agree.
I write this song lovingly on An old girlfriend's guitar That she wants me to return. On the 12th floor you took off your clothes New York in the snow and our bodies left to burn. Soft gentle rebel Let the sun pierce the moments of spring
If you could see the faults I see If you could see my faults If you could see my faults baby then you'd agree.
'Cause you are too beautiful to be in bed with me. 'Cause you are too beautiful to be in bed with me.
If you could see the faults I see If you could see my faults If you could see the face I see If you could see my face If you could see my face
"...anyone who knows anything about Hawksley Workman knows he's more than capable of perfection" -Jeremy Allen
I've found that if you googled "fuck (vicki's company name)" that a link here was amongst the first of the many hits.
So I decided to take out any reference to who I work for, since they mayn't appreciate being associated with some of the topics I bring up here :P And I'd like to keep my job thanks.
So before this takes effect, google the above if you remember the name (not hard since most of you know me) and see what you get. I had fun going through the other results.
For some reason two other photographers have nothing to do before they take Annual Leave in a few days so HQ has sent them to hang around with me for most of the week.
One is okay, one is the one I started safari with and the one I don't gel with. So in a quiet area, where over 2 days we've only had 7 sittings, there's been the 3 of us... me doing the occasional shoot and them bitching, and now and then throwing me constructive criticism.
Unfortunately now they both believe me to be unwilling to hear their critiques but it really wasn't that that was frustrating me so much, it was just having them around, the one I have a clash with in particular.
So I sat on it all and took it everything in and had to have a few breathers now and then, then on the way home when I was giving myself a talking-to and trying to justify my feelings - talking as I would to someone who'd been watching the interactions of the day and enquired about them - I just broke and cried and got out what I really wanted to say: SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE.
So I'm a little hormonal too... that doesn't help.
So home I am, feeling more than a little drained and a bit like a used dishcloth.
I've decided, after overhearing each of them saying that they see themselves as lasting about a year in this job, that I am going to be around for a long long time... just out of pride and spite rather than ambition. Hehehe. The only way I'm walking away from this is if I'm fired, and knowing how much HQ loves me right now... that won't be happenin for a while unless I do something really REALLY bad.
Pixie or Pirate?Hehe my trainer in Qld sent these prints down to me today, as well as some I took of her which for her sake I shan't post here. Man my shots sucked back then, but not bad for my first ever attempts. Yarr m'Ox!
Hey hey, I'm tired as anything and a bit cold, and have to be up to work in Sefton Park early tomorrow so I'll be brief.
After treating myself to a ride on the Rothbury paddle boat on my day off, I decided it was time to leave Mildura and embarked on the drive back, stopped into Two Wells to see Extra Extraordinaire and the fam, then went straight on to see Katie cos we've been missing each other where I spent the night... with KJ (ooooooh!) No, don't get too excited. Just sleeping... and apparently I giggle and whimper and make other noises in my sleep, so Kage knew exactly what emotion I was experiencing as I dreamt. I found this news hilarious. Anyway the next day was spent taking photos with Katie (left, which I've entitled I can be your hero. Or: 6 weeks after the shave), and watching a stupid stupid STUPID version of Snow Queen with Ben (a lame and endless Hallmark version, not the weirdly cool animated version -- that dvd is so ebayed!!) which was amusing but frustrating, then home where I was met with a purple teddy bear and (best of all) my own bed. Today I finally got to see the doctor for my cold even though it's nearly gone now, and go to the chiropractor with the nice accent and cool gadgets with no cracking, and I finally finally finally got around to finishing my paperwork for this past week and getting that and my films sent away, AND reloading films in my magazines so I don't run out this week - smack my fingers I should have done it a few days ago. Now I just have to clean my van and do some laundry and I'll be on top of things again. For awhile. Victor Harbor Thurs, Fri and Sat. Yay whales!
"Do you mind me asking: Why'd you choose me?" "Because you (insert list of attributes here)... and I dunno... you... you just looked like a Pixie..." [pause] "....It's the ears isn't it?"
In other news, I bought a cute hat for 50c, this morning it was -2 degrees celsius when I got up in my cabin with no heating except a tiny fan heater, I had to scrape ice off my car to see out the windows, and because my bedroom is the size of a china cabinet and it's so cold I'm not sleeping well and I have a cold.
My god it's windy as all hell today.... is hell windy? Let's say for the sake of argument that it is.
I was struggling against the wheel of The Buccaneer from Broken Hill to Wentworth and ran out of petrol less than 2kms from the roadhouse. Way to go me. Frankly I'm very surprised I got that far at all, I was envisioning me being stranded about 50kms earlier.
So out I got a scored a lift a minute or so down the road, got me a jerrycan of fuel, scored another lift back to the pocketvan, gave it a few litres (remembering to slightly open the lid first to release pressure, and facing it way-way-away from me if it did spurt out) and got back to the roadhouse to fill up.
After a pub meal lunch (that doubled also as breakfast) I set on for Mildura and now here I am in a kinda small library with a mean lady at the desk (there seems to be no shortage of mean library ladies on this trip - thankfully we met and worked with some nice ones in Renmark, so it's not all bad) and sussing out where I'm going to stay for the remaining 5 days of this safari.
Already I'm liking Mildura a whole lot more than Broken Hill.
Warning: venting ahead.
Yesterday I did a fundraiser for the Toy Library in Broken Hill. Let me just sum it up by saying I think I found where all the ferals and their offspring hang out. Out of my 27 customers, only about.... maaaaaybe 5.... of them didn't induce the 'black slugs of hatred' as Maz puts it. I wanted to turn around and slap so many of them... Mums I mean, not the kids.
For my South Australian audience to better comprehend: imagine Christies' mums with Elizabeth dads producing Port Pirie children, and combine that with the social interaction skills and refined culture of a Hackham West local. Yeah. Bad huh?
One mum ... no let's not call her that... One woman-who-had-had-children resorted to, amongst other things, telling her daughter that she was a little shit and that she's never getting any lollies ever again if she doesn't smile, and in an attempt to make her kids laugh resorted to telling them that I had 'done a pfoofie' and making gestures behind me. Now we all know how much I hate mother's who tell their kids total crap AND toilet humour in general. To cut the story short, that session ended after only 4 shots.
Luckily though I also had some really good kids, and that stopped me from wanting to just say 'Yeah? Well YOU do it!' to a select few and leave.
Even the woman supervising the place was rather abhorrant. When I was setting up and packing away she just stood and watched me. I mean, pretend to look busy or go do something lady. At one point her husband, who I found to be a very nice man and led me to wonder what the hell he's doing with a fucktard like her, came and helped me with my equipment, and even helped in getting kids to laugh and handing out stickers. For the rest of the time though, she sat in the corner reading a gossip magazine and bitching with the other dero mums there.
It was all very happy and lovey and gave me a warm feeling all over... feh.
All in all I was happy the day was over, and grateful to the people who went out of their way and were just in general pleasant people.
Meh Anyway, I should be off to procure accomodation and finish and send my paperwork to HQ. Away with me into the night.
On The Road Just a quick note to post up a pic or two and to boast a little. I was informed today that I am to receive a Customer Service Award. On my 5th or something day as a fledgling. That's hilariously absurd. But I'm not complaining. Anyway, the few pics I managed to get put onto CD (and such a rip off it was too) are of me driving into Broken Hill Sunday late afternoon/ early evening and the landscape I got to enjoy on the way. And this is my new pocketvan on a stop at a lake somewhere past Mildura. So far the working title for the van is The Buccaneer, as the little wooden pirate Alie made and gave me for my 21st is hanging from the cargo barrier inside. I also have a little red superhero SIDS bear on the dash for Red Nose Day :) A confused theme I know, but I like them both.
Today I drove into The Living Desert with my guitar and rocked on with nature on top of a hill with the sculptures. A family of magpies found me rather interesting, and a few humans but not too many. And frankly I preferred the magpies' company as I played and sang and overlooked the Desert. A lady was there sketching with her little girl, then they left and I was alone for a while, then an older couple came walking up the trail as I was packing up and leaving. It was both humbling and empowering and peaceful. I liked it. I took some photos but not sure how they'll come out. Anyway, for now that's all from me. I start work again tomorrow so I'm out seeing the sights... hence the desert trip. If I can find the Old Gaol again I'll be happy. For some reason I like going to things like that. Peace love and light, my friends. Enjoy.
SA - VIC - NSW in a few hours. Yes, hello from Broken Hill where I will be living and working for a week. I pulled into Mildura, had something to eat, looked around, saw that the library computers were booked for a few hours and decided to hit the road again. So here I am. I rolled into the Hill about 5pm, with the soundtrack of Mamma Mia up full volume.
I'm staying at the Broken Hill Caravan Park in a cabin which is not only much nicer but cheaper than the one I was staying at in Berri. The lady who ran the Berri one was crazy too. Either she was crazy or she was accustomed to dealing with stupid people all day everyday.
Cos I'm here a week they gave me a free membership to Top Tourist Parks, which is handy since the last 3 parks I've stayed at were a part of that chain. A smart person would have gotten herself a membership a while ago and started with the discounting and such alot earlier than now.
Anyway, this computer is beeping at me meaning I'm out of time.
Thanks to everyone putting up with my incessant texting and calls, I'm just a bit lonely out here sometimes. The only person I had contact with was my trainer whom, as I've already mentioned, I don't really gel with 100%.
Anyhoo, I'm off to make me some munchies. Starboard ho m'hearties.
wrote in the notebook:
