Monday, October 30, 2006

A SMALL NOTE ABOUT CONTACT

I've been thinking recently, and I've come to realise something you all probably have known for ages:

I'm rubbish when it comes to phoning people.

I keep promising, and somehow, it just never happens. And it occured to me today, that the reason for this is that I'm just not comfortable on the phone anymore. I've become increasingly hermit-like in the last 5 years, and now, well, email is definitely my preferred medium. I'm a letter writer by inclination, and honestly, by choice.

Hey, self-recognition is the first step.

So from now on, no promises to ring. It just results in disappointment. But, and you can bank this, contact me by email and you will get a reply. And I am likely to use email to get hold of you, when the need arises. It's just easier that way.

120 DAYS HAS LEFT THE BUILDING

Bet you thought I'd forgotten my 120 tasks in 120 days goal, didn't you? Well, kids, there's a reason I've not been updating it. See, things have changed at the Batthome, and the tasks I've set myself are no longer relevant. At least, they're not as intricate and grandiose as I'd originally planned, so I've jettisoned the list, and the page along with it, in favour of simply getting the house neat and the garden looking nice rather than resembling the work of Don Burke's Demon Master.

You see, Luscious and I have been talking, And, wel....

WE'RE GOING TO BRISBANE!

That's right, folks. Lyn and I have decided that it's time for a change: of horizon, viewpoint, and possibilities, so in January of 2008 we're upping sticks and heading to Brisbania to begin anew.

I've lived in Perth since I was 8 years old. I'm 35 now, and it just doesn't feel like there's anything new this city can offer me. I'm itchy to be somewhere else, to scrape away some of the baggage and ennui that has enveloped me in recent days. I want to feel excited again, about where I live, what I'm seeing, what I have yet to discover. I want to explore again, and I haven't done that in years. And there's a lot of baggage in Perth, a lot of ice on my wings, barnacles on my keel, drag in my chute.... now you know why I'm such a funny shape :)

15 months may seem like a long time away, but it's a good point for embarkation. Erin will be about to start her first year of proper schooling, Aiden will be past the Year 9 hurdle and about to begin Year 10, and Blakey (who has stated that he wishes to come with us for the first year, and then decide whether he wants to stay with us or return to his father) will have a year of High School under his belt. And it gives us 15 months to get the house and gardens looking as we want them, to save up money for the move, and lay some preparations for employment, house hunting, and getting involved in the writer's centres.

We've loved Brisbane from the first time we saw it, and the kids had the best holiday of their lives there in 2005, so we're keen as a bunch of keeny keen things to get there and start afresh. So we are.

There will be updates along the way. Many updates...

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Brisbane?

Not happy Jan... we go away for a year, sure, but at least we come back. :(

I mean, very happy for you guys and all, but jeez, our list of people we want to hang out with when we're back in Perth is very very short, and it's just gotten MUCH shorter. :(

Unknown said...

So move to Brisbane :)

Anonymous said...

Hey, Brisbane is closer, but ... isn't like a really big Joondalup?

Anonymous said...

Well I'll be a buttered scone--this is a surprise, I must say. Actually, thinking about it, perhaps not a HUGE surprise. Your love of Brisbane is pretty well documented here. I hope you guys find what you're looking for over there. :)

Unknown said...

Brisbane's cool, Seanie! They have an artificial beach right in the middle of their Northbridge-analog, the museum has interactive lego exhibits, it's the dinosaur capital of the Southern hemisphere, rock bands actually tour there..... and it's really time we made a change.

Adrian, I really hope we do. I really, really hope we do.