We’re all moved in and have internet again, so of course my priority is to show you guys pictures!
I’ve got 16 pictures, so I’m putting them after the break, so you can choose to view them or not (some peoples’ computers might not appreciate the big image load).
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So it’s been about two and a half weeks since we got back from our break in Melbourne over Easter, which is madness because it seems to have gone sooo quickly. It was great to catch up with friends there, especially Manda since I hadn’t seen her since we moved back to Tassie (that’s about 9 months, people!). It was like we’d never been apart at all, it was excellent.
Anyway, I’ve been busy. I’ve finally got somewhat of a job – I’m doing a website for a local jewellers. Essentially I’ll be running their online side of things – they’ll have an online store and such, and I’m in charge of all that, so it’ll be an ongoing task. I’ll be paid monthly, and the owner of the business said there’s also the possibility of my earning a commission off sales from the website, which is AWESOME. It looks like things are finally starting to look up 
Also, we’re looking at getting our own place – we looked at an apartment for rent yesterday, but it was far too small and there weren’t enough powerpoints for us geeky types. Hell, there wasn’t even space for a washing machine, and nowhere to put bathroom products, so we said no. We’re going to look at another place, which is a lot more money (an extra $55 a week) than the one we looked at, but it will hopefully be a lot better. We’ve worked it out and we could survive on Michael’s income alone, but with mine it should be a breeze.
We also got Guitar Hero World Tour! It’s so much fun – I love the drums, finally something I’m good at! We bought it with money that Michael made selling football cards on eBay. Which brings me to my next point – I’m thinking of starting up my jewellery making again – just little beaded things – and selling them on eBay, to bring in a little extra cash. Goodness knows we need as much as we can get right now. So I’m just looking into that now.
School has been highly unmotivating, and I’ve barely touched my work lately. If anyone knows anything about development methodologies, please get in touch with me because I can’t get my freakin’ head around it! (It’s website development, by the way).
Anyway, that’s enough for a quick update. I’ve been flat out otherwise – with this jeweller’s website, mostly, and since my mum’s been working afternoon shifts it’s meant I’ve had to cook for the family, which has been less than inspiring!
Have totally forgotten about Inspirata for a while – I have been focusing more on school, since I started that on the 24th March, and also on the spirituality side of things, so sorry about that.
I have applied for Youth Allowance (government assistance) whilst I’m studying, but it turns out I’m only eligible for $50 every 2 weeks because Michael earns too much – go figure. But I did put down a budget and worked out that if we were paying $130 a week rent (and there’s a place available for that right now), and adding in groceries, electricity, etc., we would be able to do it on his wage. If I were to get a part-time job, all the better.
Anyway, since talking about that kind of gets me a little antsy and irritable, I have also made my very first plans for celebrating Samhain this year. Samhain, for those of you who don’t know, is pronounced ‘Sow-ween’ and it is the Witches’ New Year, as well as a commemorative day of the departed, particularly those we have lost in the last 12 months. In the Northern Hemisphere, this is held on the 31st October (Halloween), but here in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s at the start of May. I will be going ‘camping’ (aka simply sleeping in a tent; there’ll be actual toilets and showers available) at a Pagan Alliance member’s house. It’s a fancy dress thing – gothic or emo dress – so I’m looking forward to that. What I’m not looking forward to is the drive down – it’s an almost 4 hour drive, which is a really long time to be sitting in a car, but I suppose it could be worse. But I’m really excited about that, since I’ve never been to an actual event for a Sabbat; I’ve only ever done my own thing.
We’re going to Melbourne for the Easter break (Friday 10th – Sun 12th) so I won’t be here then. Looking forward to catching up with my sister, my friends and Michael’s family.
Anyway, I think that pretty much catches you all up. Sorry if I don’t update here as often, since I’m doing school work too, I have to dedicate a lot of time to that.
Take care
So last night I managed to pump out three articles for my various commitments. Number one was a moot report for the Tas Pagan Alliance’s quarterly publication, the Ravens’ Call, on our last moot, which I got completed pretty swiftly and efficiently.
The next one was again for the Ravens’ Call, but for my own column called ‘Internet Interest’, where I will normally review two or three websites and give reasons why they’re beneficial for our Pagan community. Since this was my first column, I re-introduced people to the Tas Pagan Alliance website, which I’ve recently revamped so that it’s more user-friendly, up to date, and can be utilised as a means of communication to members, whereas the alternative was to email someone or text message someone, and hope they got the news. And then the second part of the column, I introduced people to The Pagan Activist site, which is a great site for news about Paganism and current goings-on in the world in relation to it.
My third and final article was actually for The Pagan Activist – I’m their columnist for ‘Paganism Down Under’, and submitted my third article to them for online publication on the 1st April. I essentially wrote about Black Saturday, and the devastation that Mother Nature can cause, as well as creating beauty in our world.
So, it really need not be said that I was quite busy last night, and therefore didn’t get to bed until very late – I think it was about 3am when I finally did. I need to get out of this habit of staying up all night, because I then don’t get out of bed until midday the next day, and I get pissed off at myself because I’ve lost half the day. That, and on Saturday I’m doing stocktake for a store – one day’s work, $16.20/hr; I’m not complaining! – and I need to get school and assistance payments sorted out this week too.
Big week ahead. I’m a little scared, to be quite honest. I shall make it through, but it does frighten me a little to have a bit more responsibility back in my life – to think 6 months ago I was living very independently, and now I’m having to rely on Michael and my parents for a whole lot more because I’ve proven myself to be unemployable. Bah at employers. Bah humbug.
Whilst I have done paid blogging in the past, I find it’s not productive enough to make any amount of money unless you’re constantly doing it, which can in turn piss off your readers. So I’ve made the decision to go ad-free. If I mention products or services at all, they’ll be my genuine opinions on things I actually utilise, and I will not be paid for them.
