Phone calls in the night

We've all had them. We all hate them. There is nothing worse than being woken by a phone call. It is never good news. The bell tolls death, disaster or misfortune.

My husband is off in New York, running the marathon - literally. I went to bed at 2am having watched him cross the start line on an app. At 5.50 the phone rang. In a groggy haze of confusion, a man explained that they couldn't find my husband. His belongings were in the room still, but they hadn't been able to find him for two days. I was panicked and felt a wave of nausea descend. My world contracted to a confused tunnel. "What do you mean he's missing? What's happened?"

Then as the man talked more, I realised it was the hotel (though I'm sure they must have said that at the start of the call, and I'd not been awake enough to register). They thought he was due to check out yesterday. They'd extended his booking as a courtesy but no longer knew what to do.

Ah, sweet relief. It was nothing - 'He's running, right now, as we speak.' We extended the booking another day and I gratefully hung up, though adrenalin coursed through my veins, so there was no going back to sleep.

I found the booking confirmation, which had the correct dates, so I have no idea what the problem was. Just one of those things.

My thoughts, however, have been with those that received that call after Boston. Or after Sept 11. Or after any ill fated trip. I can not fathom the cruelness of the distance and remoteness, the echo in the phone line, the confusing time difference, all adding to an already terrible call, heralding your world collapsing.

I am thankful it was nothing. I am counting the days until he returns even more keenly than before.
I am wishing that we were all spared those calls in the night.

Linking up with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

List of places I want to visit...

I wrote this list 3 years ago and I've managed to get to 2 of the destinations...(though not the Ha Long Bay part of Vietnam, so that's still on the list).  I would probably add to it, though there's nothing I'd take away!

So where do I want to visit - money no object, of course, because money being the object is why I haven't been yet. And that's just dull!

In no particular order:

1.Hawaii - I want to see lava fall into the ocean on Big Island, and monk seals just lazing on the beach. The massive crater and ziplining over Akaka Falls. So much splendorous beauty in nature.

2. Lapland (or there abouts) to see the Northern Lights.

3. Vegas - because I love a freak show. Disneyland for adults.

4. Antartica. Amazing.

5. South America - to watch the Dakar live.

6. Belgium - no particular reason, just thinks it looks like my kind of place.

7. Vietnam - Ha long bay look amazing!

8. Wilson Island - not so much for the island it's self, I just want to hire out an island for my own private use. http://www.wilsonisland.com/

9. Great Wall of China. Looks great, 'nuff said.

10. Mauritius. Just think it looks lovely and with a lot to do. Simple as that.

What about you? What's on your list of places you want to visit, and why?

Linking with #IMustConfess Where would you go for your dream destination?

What lifts me up when I'm down...

The quickest pick me up, other than eating junk, which I'm trying not to do, is to blare music in the car and sing along! Something groovy and uptempo. Of late, when cranky (which has been frequently, of late), I've headed back to Pigeon John, The Bomb. The clapping releases endorphins - try it out. You'll see...you can't stay sad or cross if you're clapping.

The other luxury, if I have the time, is escape down to Cottage Point for a swim and respite from the real world. Nothing lifts my spirits like the smell of lemon myrtle and the sea views. Just a tiny piece of paradise in Sydney.

If time is of the essence, I try to grab a quiet half hour in the bath or on the deck in the sunshine with a book - the naughtiness of indulging instead of doing whatever I'm meant to be doing often recharges the batteries. Ditto with sneaking off to the cinema.

 

Music, Movies, Reading & Scenery. That about sums it up for me!

What about you? What are your pick-me-ups?

 

Linking with Kirsty for I must confess.

 

 

First of the Month Fiction - November

Seriously, I blink and another month has gone.

For anyone new, write a story that is 100 exactly or less than 30. Post in comments, then link your blog in link, so we can see your other works. Examples here.

Without further ado, mine is a seasonal 100 words offering.

They had planned this job for months. They knew exactly what to do. Get in, get out and most importantly, get what they came for. They had considered the risks, given her fierce, noisy dogs. They knew the strange lonely old woman was home. It would be difficult, but their greed outweighed their fear. Nervously they pulled on their masks and crept up the drive stealthily. One sidled up to the window and looked in, but there was no sign of her. The other approached the door tentatively. Suddenly the door swung open unexpectedly. "Trick or treat!" the children screamed.


Linking up with With Some Grace for FYBF

For your consideration.

Taking a quick break from the normal frivolity, I just want to quickly discuss the options for donating to the Bush Fire Appeals. It is terrible, the extent of these fires. It is awful for the people involved - can you even imagine it?

If you are considering donating money to the Bush Fire Appeal, can you seek out a corporation that is matching dollar for dollar? Your donation still goes to the Salvation Army, but with the added bonus of Corporate Australia kicking in a little too.

Woolworths is accepting donations at the check out, and matching dollar for dollar.
Westfield is accepting donations at the Concierges, and matching dollar for dollar.
Coles is also matching dollar for dollar.

The Red Cross & St Vincent de Paul are also releasing funds to the bushfire victims.

If you have goods you wish to donate, seek out the best way to get them there.

Anyone with details of products on sale, with percentages going to Bushfire Appeals, or of other ways to help, please add in to the comments below.

Finally, as I raised a week before all this catastrophe started, in Stumped, can we consider demanding adequate funding for our Fire & Emergency Services.

As borrowed from the Telegraph:

 

Linking up With Some Grace for FYBF

What I learnt from Rush

I went and saw Rush last night - I love Niki Lauda, so when I saw the ads and the poster, I was a little worried he'd be vilified for the sake of a good story, like Prost was in the Senna documentary (so not how it happened, peeps!) but the film is a really sweet little film with the Ron Howard touch, so if anything, it went into kindness overdrive on both parts.

I don't think you have to like Formula 1 to like it, but in my row, there were four people that did, and we laughed before jokes were made, because we knew what was coming (in a couple of cases). It was nice to be sitting in the row with infectious goodwill towards the subjects.

Without further ado, here's what I learned:

1.That Thor guy is very good looking, but I still liked Niki more, which means even when someone is fictionally pretending to be someone I like, I don't notice the looks of others. Which I think means something good about me, but it could mean I'm losing my eye sight.

2. Tyrells made a 6 wheel car. I need to investigate what on earth were they thinking??

3. The film should have been called Drive. Both men wanted to drive above all, both earned drives with F1 teams and Niki Lauda had an amazing amount of drive, from when he set his mind to becoming a professional race car driver to the incidents of '76. Astounding - the original poster boy for Nike's Just Do It.  I'll investigate why they went with Rush and get back to you (guessing that movie with Ryan Gosling was too recent to replicate the name).

4. Those floppy hats in the '70's should never have gone out of fashion. We'd all look so much cuter sporting them. I might get myself one...

5. I have no idea what made the film MA15+. The pot smoking?

6. I went to Monaco Grand Prix, and was watching practice inside the restaurant at Rascasse. Every time a driver walked into the pits, all the Americans would race over and take their photo but I'd just watch. Then Niki Lauda walked past, and I jumped up on my chair and leapt over the table (alcohol may have aided this agility) to get his photo (even though he hadn't raced for 10 years). This American came over and said 'We've all been wondering about you, you seemed so cool about it all. But it's Niki Lauda. All the girls love Niki Lauda". In the film when the reporter asks THAT question, that voice ran through my head "All the girls love Niki Lauda". Proving, that no matter how hideous the thing you're dealing with at the moment, time will put it in perspective. What he thought would horrify people made no difference at all. Hard to do, but it's something I'm going to try to remember, as life throws ugly issues my way.

7. "What's important is how it feels to me, and it feels like he adores me". A reminder that there is no reality, only perception, so keep that in mind when you see your partner tonight, and make them feel that you adore them...

8. Basically, don't see an fierce foe as a curse, it can be used to great advantage "A wise man will learn more from his enemies than a fool does from his friends"

9. I love in sports movies, that even when you know what the outcome is, you sit there, on the edge of your seat, hoping that the outcome is different. It happened twice for me in this film!

10. The biggest thing I learnt from Rush was that I miss Murray Walker. For those that have no idea what that means, he was a commentator  synonymous with F1. He was passionate and opinionated, he got things wrong but everyone loved him. His voice features in the film in the media, and I just started grinning like a loon as soon as I heard it. It's just not been the same since.

PS I also saw Lauda at the Opera House, kindly posing for photos with Japanese tourists. I stood at a safe distance and blushingly grinned like a school girl. Funny how fame and adoration can reduce a grown woman to an imbecile. I didn't watch F1 when he raced, but his legend is that of folklore and any F1 fan can tell at least 3 Lauda stories...

Linking up with Essentially jess for IBOT

This still makes me smile! (Maybe I'm just an imbecile that became a grown woman?)

Message to Ron Howard - if you are reading (like I'm sure you are), how do we avid fans get our hands on a copy of Arrested Development (new season) when we aren't allowed Netflicks? Please, please release a DVD for us downtrodden downunder!!

Message to married people

Okay, it's not really to married people, it's to married famous people. Stop tweeting near naked photos of yourselves to each other. Twitter is not a private message. We don't want to see it. Maybe some people do, but 50% at least just think it's weird. And desperate. And kinda tragic.

I'm not laying into Miley, because that's a whole different kettle of fish. If you want to show your husband your sexy bra/butt during the day, use email, or phone txt. To think News of the World reporters went to jail for this, that now seems to be freely and deliberately offered to the Universe.

I have a young girl. Super little at this stage. I am terrified of what she'll be posting and tweeting to the world at large. Call me old fashioned, but some things are best kept between a husband and wife.

Now Mariah & Kim (because I'm sure you read this), have a little think, if your MUM was tweeting your dad in the way that you do, how would you feel? Because that's what it's like for us. I don't see sexy, I just want to hurl. If my friend tweeted her husband that pic, I'd still be creeped out. No reflection on her sexiness. It's just cringeworthy.

Linking up short and sweet with Things I know. Because I know I will vomit if I have to look at another married person being all sexy for their husband.