...cause we all know that nothing in my life can't be reflected via an email rant to my friends!
Email rant #1: My 'cat' history and Caspar
When I was growing up, my neighbours (the bogan hoons that they were) had a cat who had a litter. The runt of the litter took to our place. We'd take her back, the neighbours would take her, and put her straight out the back, and she would jump the fence and end up being back at our place before we were. We ended up keeping her, and I had Suzie for about 12 years or so. I was devasted when she was eventually put to sleep, as she was a little white girl and had been hit by cancer. But she was so loving, and would just want to constantly be as close to you as possible.
We had another stray we called Hoppy because his back paw had been caught in a trap and he hopped everywhere. He looked like Sylvester out of Loony Tunes, and had pretty much the same attitude too. We actually saw him beat up a dog once; he was that kind of cat.
Caspar is just hysterical and i'm such a proud 'dad'. When possible, I let him sleep with us, but he does have his own room and try to make him feel as loved as possible. He LOVES water, and will play it in whenever possible, and then jump spread eagle from the chair beside the bed and land on it with a big wet thud. He also LOVES to play hide and seek and will jump up from behind doorways at you when you least expect it. He is a bit of a nervy cat, possibly because of his past, but is beginning to be a little more trust worthy. He lived with a poor guy who was mentally disabled, who had a multitude of cats, most of whom were starved or too sick. Apparently the RSPCA was called in, and the majority of the cats were so sick that they needed to be put down, but Caspar survived, as did his sister apparently. I wish I could have two cats, but my housemate won't allow it sadly - otherwise, I would've taken his sister too so that they could be together.
It was funny yesterday when my landlord called about the 'gas leak' though. The first and foremost concern I had was actually for Caspar over anything else! And just ask Michael about how I was when I found poor Caspar with his paw caught in the window one morning... I had a sudden realisation of why parents freak out when their children get hurt all of a sudden.
Email #2: My friend at Shannon Nolls, and Australian Idol S1
Shannon Nolls hey... o...k... lol! Nah, i'm sure he is ok. Personally, not my cup of tea. I didn't watch Australian Idol, but what I did see of it, he used to frustrate me. He would just stand in the middle of the stage and sing. I would get worked up because a) he has an entire stage to move around on and to try to sell the song... and he didn't, and b) he is actually a really average singer. His looks got him there, but then that is half of the 'pop' game. I'll never forgive him for what he did to U2's 'With Or Without You' though, as that song is fairly sacred for me. I thought Millsey worked the stage better. He had an average voice too, but he also had a presence, and think out of the three of them, he will probably last the longest (but that may not be long...) Guy will get too serious too soon, and the sad fact is that Australian r'n'b has this self loathing thing and will turn their back on him. He will have to crack overseas for continued success here with that style of music. Millsey has a very 'Robbie Williams' thing going on - strong personality and the ability to make people think he is 'one of the lads' - that counts for a lot.
Email #3: Advertising agencies
Maybe you need to take the 'new age but old trick' trend Advertising agencies have lately of calling themselves everything BUT an advertising agency. They can now be 'Creative Concept Centres', or some other wanky term, but never advertising agencies. I actually talked to a company recently and asked what they actually 'did', and was told they were an 'advertising agency'. I told them it was a relief to finally hear an advertising agency refer to themselves as one again!
Email #4: Losing Johnson
I must admit that I am a bit down this week as my parents cat, who we've had for 14 years, had to be put down over the weekend. Having Caspar has made it easier to deal with, but I especially feel for my poor parents who are still coming to terms with losing such a devoted friend to them both. My mum put on a brave face on the phone the other night and asked how Caspar was, and I was saying how he had been allowed to stay out of his room for the past three nights and had taken to sleeping at my feet. I could tell she was stiffling tears at that point, and honestly can't blame her. But anyway, enough sadness...
Email #5: Discussing Bowie
Did you end up going to his last show here? There were moments where I was genuinely close to welling up - especially during 'Life On Mars', which I had always wanted to see him perform live. But as always, with anyone with a back cat that extensive, it is near impossible to hear every song that you would want to hear... but I did hear a few. I would've loved to have heard 'Wild Is The Wind' and 'Fashion', but I did get 'Heroes' (how could he NOT play that?), 'Life On Mars', 'I'm Afriad Of Americans', and 'Hallo Spaceboy'. Infact, I really do love that 'Earthling' album and still can't understand why it got as bagged as it did...
Email #6: Thoughts of Paris...
Going overseas is such an eye opening experience. When I went to Paris... I can actually remember; it was the day I went to the Louve. I mean, Paris is old... the city feels and looks old... beautiful, but old! lol! But it wasn't until I went to the Louve, and I walked through the arches and into the giant courtyard, and looked at this incredible building with statues actually sitting on the ledges around it... it just hit me that I was seeing something older than anything i'd seen in Australia... and it occured to me how young Australia truly is, and how different our western civilisation is to anything that is in Europe. It was such a... forfilling experience... and one i'm glad I went on as it certainly made me realise a few more priorities in our lifes. Be warned though - once you go overseas, you'll get 'the bug' everyone talks about and will want to do it again and again.
Email #7: Bit more of a tribute to Johnson
My parents recently had to have Johnson, family cat of 14 years old, put down, and it was a very traumatic experience for them. I got a bit teary when mum was telling me that they had asked to hold Johnson while the injection worked and until he had gone, just cause they didn't want him to feel scared or unloved at any point... which is typical of my parents. But he had some serious internal things going wrong and he wasn't living a good quality of life, and just decided that they didn't want to see him in pain anymore just cause it would be hard for them. He was such a big sook as well. I think people forget how much these guys become part of our families and everything, and even my Caspar makes Ant and I feel more like 'a family' than boyfriends.
Email #8: Back to gym
Trying to fight off the flu at the moment but Ant and I have started doing personal training one night a week with this woman in the gym in the building I work in, and she is proving to be really good - pushes us quite a lot - i'm hell bent now on trying to get back on track with gym as it seems to stall far too easily. Work going ok - 1 year this week since I left FMR, which has had me a bit reflective. Everything is good though.
Email #9: My first hate mail over a music review
I still treasure my first hate mail, which the editor had to censor because it was becoming too personal. Apparently, when I said that the lesbian compilation I had sent was crap because it sounded awful, this was a blatant attack on females. I should've known better. Even more ironic was that the CD claimed that woman still had no inflence in the music industry, and I claimed that was a load of shite and went on to list several female performers who have pushed boundaries in the music industry, as well as commenting on the fact that several senior positions in record companies around Australia were held by woman. But of course, I wouldn't really know, would I... cause i'm a man. Treasure peoples paranoid ramblings cause they're so much fun in retrospect.
Email #10: Is life fabulous?
fabulous...? yes and no... it's often only as fabulous as you can make it be. I'm hell bent on being more creative again. I actually just splurged on a new soundcard for my computer (I didn't really have the money so I shouldn't have) - but it will allow me to actually start writing music again, which I feel rather passionately about again.
Email #11: Nasty comments from old places
I was a bit disappointed to find out that someone who I held very dear has turned out to be not so dear after all. I've never remained anyone's friends for any reason other than a genuine liking of the person, but... well, read of this comment what you will... when asked about sending me a copy of a DVD on an artist I worked fairly a lot on, the responce was 'He can get it at HMV." Now, it's a minor thing really. I could go get it at HMV, and have, in fact, bought several things by this artist at HMV in recent times as I didn't want my requests to be taken the wrong way. But this is apparently coming from the mouth of a close friend? The funny thing is that it didn't make me angry. Disappointed, perhaps. And even a little more jaded. But not angry. What it did do is make me appreciate the people around me who are genuine even more. But it does make me wonder if one of my former places of employ have gone truly mad, as reports are coming back to me that people left, right and centre are totally losing the plot. Nasty people are becoming nice. Nice people are becoming next. God, next thing you know, people will be saying Shannon Nolls is a truly unique Australian talent!!! Oh well, I guess it's just one more name to be taken off my Christmas card list... Shame, as I honestly did respect and look up to him.
