Often over the years, when trying to put my life in perspective, I've thought about what my 8 year old self would think about me now. I like to think that my 8 year old self would be pretty proud of where I am.
I don't have everything I want, but I have a lot. I love my job, it's leading somewhere good, I have wonderful friends and an awesome family. There are a lot of things I had hoped I would have done by now, but I'm happy with the direction my life is taking. I've got so much more to do, but I've got time.
Today as I was driving into town to meet some friends from school I saw a girl riding a bike. She was about 10 years old and wasn't wearing a helmet. I was disgusted enough by that. So imagine my total disgust when a second later I spotted the girl's mum 50 feet behind her CARRYING THE HELMET. What does the mum think she's going to do? Put it on her daughter after her daughter's brains have already been splattered across the road?
It just shocks me that the mother is clearly condoning the girl not wearing a helmet. Who the hell knows why she bothered even bringing it with her. She certainly wasn't running to catch her daughter and remind her that she'd forgotten her helmet, so I think I have the right to assume she doesn't have a problem with her daughter not wearing it. I can understand that a 10 year old might not fully grasp why it is so important to wear a helmet when riding a bike. But her mum should grasp it and ensure that her daughter complies with such an obvious safety step. Hell, it's the law, if nothing else her mother should be making her wear it for that reason.
I remember back at primary school they made a huge deal about helmets. I think the law that you had to wear them was just coming into effect. We saw videos of the results of not wearing one and having a crash, we had guest speakers talking about loved ones they'd lost to cycle accidents - where a helmet would most probably have saved a life, we had some weird puppet show about it and we had the police come to talk to us. I guess they don't make such a big deal about it these days, but maybe they should.
A couple of weeks ago, while I was on the bus, I noticed a shop in Petone called The Medieval Supplies Store. I was very intrigued. It looks like a really big store.
Further inspection has revealed that they really do sell medieval supplies - the name does not lie. And it really is a huge store. In The Medieval Supplies Store you can buy suits of armour (the stand-alone types you see in castles), swords, bows and arrows, chainmail... The list goes on.
What I want to know is..... How on earth is there enough interest in medieval supplies that this store can stay in business? Who needs medieval supplies? Does anyone? The only possible time I think I might need medieval supplies is if I was going to a costume party and had a medieval-type costume. I'm sure there is not enough interest in medieval costumes for that to be its sole purpose.
Do you think there are people out there walking around with chainmail shirts on under their clothes and suits of armour in their house?
There is one other possibility. This is a possibility that occurred to me a few years ago when I discovered another shop that confused me. The shop was a computer shop in Central Hutt. It was hardly ever open and all the computer boxes in the window were dusty and about two years out of date. I'm pretty sure that shop was actually a time-warp back to two years ago. It's the only thing that makes sense. And now I reckon I've discovered another one - but this one takes you back to medieval times!!
I find it fascinating whenever a memory of something suddenly comes to be out of nowhere. The brain is truly amazing.
I went for a walk this evening because it was nice weather and I felt like it. As I turned to wander down a street I didn't remember walking down before I was suddenly hit with a memory of a time I was in that street. I must have only been about 14, I was staying with a friend and she had netball in the morning so I went along and watched. Her mum parked in that street while we watched the game. It is quite possible I have never been in that street apart from that one time. It just amazes me that I would suddenly remember something so completely insignificant.
In other, extremely exciting news - my book went to print today!!! WOO!!!!!! This time next week I should be able to hold the proof copy in my hands. (For one final check.) I, along with the rest of my group, thought this day would never come. It's awesome.
The final dolphin from Napier's Marineland died today. :(
When I was about 12 me and Melissa went swimming with the dolphins at Marineworld. Back then there were 2 dolphins. Swimming with the dolphins is one of the coolest things I've ever done. The dolphins didn't really let us touch them, but it was still very cool.
I'm very happy that people aren't allowed to just catch wild dolphins and train them. But it does make me sad that it means Marineland might be closing.
Here is a video of the dolphins (and other animals) at Marineland, taken in 1993.
Aaron pointed out that I made a grave oversight yesterday - it was Michael Jackson's 50th birthday and I didn't blog about him. So, here it is, s special blog about the King of Pop - Michael Jackson.
Funnily enough, I watched my The Jacksons: An American Dream dvd recently. Years ago (I must have only been about ten) it was on tv, I was totally obsessed with Michael Jackson at the time and so recorded it. I must have watched that tape 100 times over the following couple of years. I bought it on dvd a couple of years ago because I remembered how much I loved it, turns out I still do. Well, I love the first 2 hours more than the last 3. (Yeah, it's very long.)
Aaron also commented that he went and saw Michael Jackson's concert in Auckland a few years ago. I am here to state publicly that I don't think i've ever been as jealous of anyone in my life as I am of him for getting to see that. I absolutely begged my parents to let me go, but they wouldn't. They were sure he would tour again when I was older and said I could go then. He hasn't and I'm sad. I'd pay a LOT of money to see a Michael Jackson concert.
I remember the night of the concert. I was babysitting and me and the kids listened to Michael Jackson CDs (or maybe tapes) all night. They had one of his concerts on tv that night which I watched - wishing that I was actually at the concert instead of watching an older one on tv. The kids made me promise to get them out of bed in time for Billie Jean - which I did and we all tried to moonwalk around the lounge. (Very unsuccessfully)
Generally you can't talk about Michael Jackson these days without those damn child molestation charges coming up. I hate that. In such a fantastic career, spanning decades - it's those charges that people remember. If they were true then I could understand it, but personally I've never believed that any of the accusations against him were true. He's just an exceptionally weird guy who is also exceptionally talented and used to be exceptionally rich. A prime target for people who want to take advantage of him. Yes, he obviously made some very serious errors in judgement by letting children sleep in his bed, but I don't for a moment believe that he did anything anywhere near the realm of sexual molestation.
Okay I don't like talking about that anymore. Time for a subject change. Haha here's an embarrassing story... Me and my cousin Melissa used to sing the Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney duet, The Girl is Mine. I think I probably forced her to do it. From memory I did the McCartney part and she did the Jackson part. It involved us each standing on a couch in the lounge and i'm pretty sure also involved some kind of dance we'd made up. Thank God no-one has any video of that. (We also used to do The Bartman.)
Here are a couple of videos to celebrate the amazingness that is Michael Jackson.
First up we have a Jackson 5 video - singing ABC.
Next is Micahel moonwalking. There is nothing cooler in this world than Michael Jackson moonwalking. Someone has taken heaps of different clips of him doing the moonwalk and edited it together with Billie Jean as the soundtrack.
And, Aaron, you'll remember this well you lucky bastard.
Here is Michael Jackson performing one of my all-time favourite Michael Jackson songs - Billie Jean - in Auckland in 1996. And, of course, it includes a moonwalk.
Looking back on the past can be a dangerous game. I keep a lot of records - obviously I have this blog, I also keep a private diary and keep most old emails etc. I don't look back at any of that stuff often, but when I do I never know how it's going to make me feel.
A lot of how I end up feeling has to do with what I happen to look at. I usually just randomly sift through and see what I find. My mood in what I have written is usually the mood that then gets reflected in the current me. Sometimes I read about things that used to make me happy and now make me sad.
I like re-reading things though. I like to remember the important things in my life. And I like even more that often I've written about the mundane - stuff i'd never remember in a million years if I didn't have it documented in print.
I've been lucky in my life, even if I don't always feel like I am. I need to make sure I always remember that.
So, recently I have got back in contact with a number of people from my past.
First was Sam (no, not that Sam. Although I can see where the confusion comes in, you should have seen my flatmates face when I mentioned him! Priceless. From now on that Sam will have to go back to his real name. If I ever deign to mention him that is.)
Then there was Kelly and now Kea. It's truly awesome.
Sam was a guy I chatted to on the 'net when I was around 15. We met at some point at a cricket match and I think, lost contact after that. I don't really remember.
Kelly was my best friend in primary school. We lost contact after 7th form but she is back in Wellington for her wedding. She then gave me Kea's email address who was another friend from primary school, one I haven't seen since I was about 11 because she moved to America and has been living there pretty much ever since.
It's funny how people can move on with their lives, and never even really think about each other. Then, out of the blue, the friendship comes straight back. I love it.
In honour of all this past coming back to haunt me my film recs for today are 2 of my favourite films as a child. (and believe me, they are still awesome)
1/ The Lion King I had my first real date to this movie. He turned out to be a weirdo who, even though we were only 11, wanted sex. But I still have fond memories of the film. I think I saw it about 8 or 9 times at the movies.
2/ The Fox and the Hound Oh how I loved this film. Just thinking about it almost brings tears to my eyes even now.
Tod: "Copper you're my best friend" Copper: "You're mine too Tod." Tod: "And we'll always be friends forever. Won't we?" Copper: "Yeah forever."
Then later
Tod: "We're still friends right?" Copper: "Tod, those days are over. I'm a hunting dog now."
For me, that just epitomises childhood. We all thought we were going to be friends forever. But things happen and people move on, move away. Thank God for the memories.
By the way: If anyone ever finds The Fox and the Hound on DVD and is at a loss as to what to buy me for a present? I don't own it but would love to. Buying it for me would elevate the person to position of 'Holly's favourite person in the whole wide world'. I found it one day but made the mistake of not purchasing it straight away. I've never found it since.
Well I got the answer early and it is Outcome 2. I'm not as gutted as I thought I would be. Probably because I know that it is for the best.
I've been questioned a few times recently on why my username for this (and almost everything else) is Jadeey so I thought I'd clear it up. When I was at high school I had a foster brother named Jade. I wasn't as nice to him as I should have been and unfortunately we lost contact with him after he left us and moved back with his family. So my name is for him. For my memory of a poor little lost boy that I didn't want to share my family with, for a boy that I hope is having a good life.
In other news, I recently made contact with a guy I sorta knew back when i was at high school. It's really cool to talk to him again. It was a random occurance but it really made my day/week to get back into contact for him. I wonder why? I think it's probably because we all have wistful memories of our adolescence and to get a brief, solid reminder of it is really nice. Helps that it seems he is still a great guy!
I bought Linc a really awesome slot car set the other day. Yes I know, I know, I'm buying his love. I have to do something to remain his favourite Aunty though!
I have been waiting impatiently, basically since he was born, for him to be old enough to appreciate the awesomeness of a slot-car set. I think that time has finally come and we spent hours playing with it when I joined him and my mum for dinner on Wednesday night. It was a little more complex than the ones I remember from my own childhood though and in the couple of hours we played with it neither of us could get our car the entire way around the track.
Lincoln has gone back home now but he left it at my parents house cos he leaves everything we buy him there so he has stuff to play with when he comes to stay. Me and my dad have decided we'll have a lot of fun with it next time I visit home for a weekend. Ha best $100 I ever spent!
Got my legs waxed on Wednesday as well. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it was going to. It was painful for a second but then the pain went away. I'm going to try and keep it up for the summer so I have beautifully smooth legs for the summer without having to bother shaving while I'm in Perth.
Okay I think that's it for news from me. Until next time.
A year ago I decided to copy my flatmate Kat and I began blogging every single day. It is now a competition - if I forget then I will be punished. So, rest assured, there will be a new post here every single day.
