It was quite startling to look back and discover I started blogging in February 2006.  It was on a little site called Jevon's Journals, created by my brother's friend (the Jevon of the title) and most of the people knew each other (sometimes tenuously) in the real world as well.  There was a great community feel and almost guaranteed comments on each post (I am a complete comment loving whore when it comes to blog entries - hint hint).  We had some fun times and also some very weird ones particularly with a crazy girl creating fake accounts and trying to suck people into friendships with them while passing off other people's photos (sometimes porn stars) as her fake creations. Outing her became a bit of a personal crusaide for a couple of us (Francis you were a machine!) and we had fun hunting down evidence on the web.  I can't for the life of me remember why it mattered so much at the time.

Anyway, the site kinda died a natural death and I stopped posting on my journal there 2.5 years ago. (I've just wasted an enjoyable hour reading back over my old entries there.  Ah memories...)

At the same time, I was also keeping a book journal on the same site and when I started journalism school I migrated it over to Blogger and wellreadkitty been going there ever since.  It's a place for me to record my book musings, book news that has captured me attention, reviews and other bits and pieces.  It captures my twin loves of books and writing yet dishearteningly I can only dream of getting the number of hits on it each day that this #30daysofme blog has got.  It has however created two highlights; one - being used by one of my Wintec tutors as an example of good blogging and two - my gig with www.thenile.co.nz reviewing books and just of late, their guest blogger. *proud*

This picture feels like it was taken another lifetime ago.  It's my bestiest friend Leah and I at her wedding in 2002.  We were so young!  It was such a lovely day and it was such a priviledge to be a part of their wedding; David and Leah have known each other since kindergarten and were destined to be together.

Leah and I met in 2000 when were both students working at good ol Mitre 10 in Palmy.  It was instant friendship; we even flattered together (plus Dave) at one point.  We hardly see each other now; her life and family are in Napier and I am in the 'tron.  We don't even email or facebook much these days which makes me sad.  But I love her and she will always be my bestiest; she knows too many of my secrets to be anything but.

I adore "I Am In Love" by Crowded House and it will forever baffle me that it did not appear on the "Together Alone" album, instead cropping up on "Afterglow."  I particularly love the strong driving drums. <3 you Paul Hester.

Sad

The first time I heard "Closer" by Travis was on the Top Gear of the Pops special and it was instant love.  I had to download it immediately.  It's been my soundtrack to sad times ever since.

Honourable mentions go to "Afterglow" by INXS (JD Fortune is hawt btw) and "Try Whistling This" by Neil Finn.

Bored

My two "default" music go tos when I don't know what to do with myself are my beloved Crowded House and Michael Buble.  Anything by them will do.  On repeat.

Mad

Minuit.  Loudly!

This is one of those entries that could easily stray into the "too-close-for-comfort-on-the-webs" catergory.  So I am going to be suitably vague; those closest to me will know what I am talking about and the rest of you can just guess :P

I'm proud of me; for facing up to one of the things that scared me most and doing it.  And when things went badly, getting up the next day and doing it over again - and (luckily) getting a different, much happier, result.  I did good.

I'm not very good at goal setting.  No, that's a lie.  I'm good at the setting part - I even know the SMART rules - what I am not good at is trying to achieve them.  Maybe making a goal and sticking to it could be one of my goals? :P

There are goals I should make like stopping my hair twiddling habit and cutting down my caffeine consumption but I don't actually want to do those things, I like them too much.

So.... after much thought, here goes:

1.  Start Weight Watchers again.  I started back in June and lost 10kgs (yay me!), then life intervened and I fell off the lifestyle change wagon.  But I am feeling stronger now and ready to tackle the jubbly bits I am carrying round with me.  I have a long way to go to reach my goal weight but every little bit counts.  No more excuses - first week of October (pay week) I am going back!

2.  Keep on blogging.  My book blog wellreadkitty.blogspot.com has been in hiatus while I have been guest blogging at Swimming in the Nile  My guest spot is due to finish very soon/now but I want to keep the writing momentum I have created going.  Plus I have been really enjoying it. 

3.  Email my Palmy friends.  I miss them so much but you wouldn't know it from the lack of contact I have with them which is stupid given the ease and immediacy of the net.  Time to reconnect and get emailing.

There, that ought to do it.

This is David Hill; New Zealand journalist, reviewer, fiction writer, playwright and children’s writer. I credit this AMAZING Kiwi author with sparking my love for reading when in Form One my teacher Mr Randall read to us his young adult novel "See Ya, Simon."

I LOVED IT!

As soon as we finished having it read aloud to us I had to read it myself.

It was the first novel (of many) that I was to fell in love with.  It's a charming coming-of-age story of Nathan and his best mate Simon. Not only are they 14-year-old boys dealing with the usual problems (girls/puberty/school), Simon has Muscular Dystrophy and is dying.  It's hilarious and touching in equal parts.

After "See Ya, Simon," I became a reading monster, devouring everything I could get my hands on.  Our school library was teensy and by the time I went to high school I had read most books several times over but I didn't really care, I just loved words and books so much.  I would read waiting for the bus, at morning tea and lunch times, on the bus home, at night, on weekends - any time I had a spare moment. I can remember Mum getting a bit concerned about it which was ironic as Nana told me she was exactly the same at my age! 

Life committments might mean I am not as prolific in the reading stakes as I used to be or would like to be, but the passion for books has never waned; I know I want to (somehow) build a career around them.

And I have never forgotten the impact "See ya, Simon" had on me; I re-read it every year and I still cry at the ending. In my opinion no one does New Zealand young adult fiction like David Hill.

Growing up I was never one for traditional super heroes but I loved these guys!

We had a rule amongst my siblings and I that you couldn't all like the same thing; when New Kids on the Block were cool, my sister loved Jordan so I had to choose someone else (baby of the group Joey).  The same was true with the turtles; my brother, like everyone else, adored Michaengelo (cowabunga!) so I picked Raphael.  He was surly and sarcastic and weilded a mean pair of sai.

We couldn't wait for Saturday mornings to watch the show and then recreate it with our toy figurines; it was probably the only time my brother and I weren't trying to kill each other and played nicely together. 

I remember being horribly confused when the movie came out and it was live action.  Also, it was a bit crap.  Well alot crap actually.  And then they made two more.

Ah, what a happy walk down memory lane that was. *insert smily face*

This year for New Years we decided to go to the famed Coroglen Tavern to see, well no one famous just a local covers band, bring in 2010.  I'd never been any further north than Thames before so we decided to tiki-tour around a bit.  Like most everyone who goes there, I completely fell in love with the place. 

With no accommodation booked, we managed to completely fluke our way into two nights at the Hahei Beach Camping Ground.  We'd chucked our pup tent, duvet and airbed in the boot of the car but nothing else so we lived off takeaways.   The weather Gods blessed us with endless golden days (which is a very good thing because our tent leaks!).  We did nothing but sleep, read, swim and the obligatory trip to Hot Water Beach (which was packed).

Hahei Beach is exceptionally beautiful and the little village, idylic.  I could quite easily see myself retiring there and enjoying the blissful tranquility during the non-tourist season and the buzz and vibe as the population explodes each summer (although I am sure the crowds - often out the doors - of the few shops could get tiresome).

My only regret of the trip is that I didn't bring my camera (*sad face*) so we resorted to using our camera phones to document the trip.  This is a panaorama of Hahei Beach taken on Michael's trusty/crusty old Nokia.  I'm so looking forward to going back WITH CAMERA this New Years.

I procrastinate.  The book review I should have written two weeks ago is testament to that.

I worry too much.  About things real and imagined.

I drink too much coffee and Black V.  Okay and if I am being honest, too much coke.

I'm slack with my skincare routine. And yes I know I am going to pay for that when I get a bit older.

But the one habit I really wish I didn't have is: hair twirling.

I've done it ever since I was a little girl; wrapping a few strands of hair around my left thumb and index finger and running them along its length.  And repeat.  Ad nauseum.

Like xoxbubbles wrote about in her Day Four post (soz, can't get the hyperlink to work so here is the old fashioned link for you http://xoxbubbles.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/30-days-of-me-day-30/) I used to be a puller.  I yanked so much that I created a little bald patch on the crown of my head.  I managed to outgrow the pulling, but the twiddling (as my family calls it) remains.

I do it most when I am tired and/or stressed, which means for the past month it has been near constant.  I caught myself doing it while driving at 80kmh down the Avalon Drive bypass the other day.  I sat through last night's epic dinner party at Julian and Julia's, merrily twiddling away.  Several nights ago I kept myself awake til after 2am, just because I couldn't stop the twiddle.  Gawd, I'm doing it now as I type this.

And the worst part is, I KNOW how completely immature and sad  it makes me look; I am just powerless to stop it.  It's soothing and comforting and all the other calming-like adjectives you can think of. 

EDIT: Oooo, it turns out I am not alone http://isitnormal.com/story/twiddling-hair-737/ 

It's a sad state of affairs when you realise you don't have any photos of the women you are closest to - and even sadder is it took this blog challenge for me to realise.

Luckily last night I was able to rectify this at an a-maz-ing dinner party held by my friends Julian and Julia.  They created a mouth watering selection of Latino inspired dishes that kept coming all night and the alcohol flowed (although not for this sober driver *pout at responsibility*).  And there to enjoy the sumptious feast with me was three of the ladies I love the most; Katie, Karla and Janine.

We met at Journalism School at Wintec in Hamilton, sharing the highs and lows of student life (second time around for all of us).  Janine was the mother hen, Karla the bolshy go-getter, Katie the writer with the ethereal touch and me, the crazy cat lady.  We all got jobs in the Waikato at the end of our diploma and kept in touch, swapping student life stories for those of the cut and thrust of the newspaper world.  I was the first to quit (I want to write for a living - just not in a newsroom environment) and now Katie has resigned, off to teach English in India in three weeks time.  Janine talks about going back to teaching every now and then.  Karla is a newshound for life.

We might be moving on, but I know we will always be friends.

Love you ladies xoxox

('cuse the picture quality - taken on my phone as I forgot my camera)

Me, Janine, Katie and Karla

Janine and I

Katie (my bestie) and I

Karla and I