Happy New Year? in Stuff

I don’t really feel like writing, as is evident by the lack of entries lately, but I figure I should jot something down.
My New Year’s was relatively uneventful. I was invited to a house party by a guy I know (Mark), but the last time I went to a party at his place, I felt pretty excluded. It’s hard being an introvert sometimes. Like there were a lack of chairs to people so I was just standing there with my drink listening to the extroverts crack jokes, which was fine cos they were making me laugh. And then they usually go out afterwards. I remember there was a really hot guy who got a little too drunk last time and was rubbing his ass up against me in the elevator, which wasn’t a bad thing at all haha. So of course, I did consider going, and was umming and ahhing for a while, and New Years Day was my day off anyway, so I very well could have.
But I didn’t. I went to the bottlo earlier on in the evening and bought three bottles of Rekorderlig, thinking they would get me a little buzzed enough to warrant going to the house party. There was actually a cutish gay guy in the shop at the same time as me (given he was wearing a sparkly-diamonte’ mesh top, one would say the chances were high, but he may have just wanted to sparkle under the new year lights). But anyway, I went home with my drinks, watched something on TV, and only got through one of the bottles before my anxiety won-out and I didn’t end up going anywhere. I was awake until midnight through and heard the cheers from the surrounding apartments as everyone rung in the new year. My housemate wasn’t home, as he is a social butterfly who has a life, and I assumed he was bringing in the New Year with his boyfriend and his friends. And it was a night that I could have, having the following day off, wheras last time I’m sure I had to work. So yeah, last year was no Tropical Fruits and no even going out. I suppose I saved a bit of moolah, but where’s the fun in that?

But I don’t feel so bad since going to work and asking everyone how their New Years were. Even people who I know as party-animals have been telling me they didn’t really do anything! So that’s a surprise. One guy was like, “I was in bed by ten o’clock.”

So you know how I had that mini-argument with the sushi chef at work? Turns out I’m not the only one. One of the newbies in my department had a run-in with him as well! So it turns out the guy is just a complete dickhead lol. According to the nightfill manager, the guy was hired as some hot-shot sushi-chef, and is there putting fancy designs on all his sushi and forgets that he’s only working in a supermarket. LOL. Christ, go work in a sushi restaurant, dude. I felt better knowing I wasn’t the only one. It doesn’t seem like he went and made a formal complaint against me, but our store manager is still on holidays so I guess I’ll find that out for sure when he does. In the meantime, I’ve had to walk past him a couple of times in “his” ^rolls eyes^ area to put express deliveries in the fridge, and once he blocked off the path with his sushi trolley. I did consider for a moment ramming it into him, but figured that would cause more trouble than it was worth. I have been keeping a close eye on that sharp sushi knife he uses to cut up products as I hurry past him, because that’s how much I distrust the guy.

Work’s been slightly better though. Still busy as fuck and I don’t stop but nothing like Christmas/New Year’s in retail was. Phewie. I need to learn to take holidays in that week somehow in future because it’s just not worth the pay. Oh I did have some meth-head lady deliberately and quickly cut in front of me yesterday and I just about trod on her bare feet! Silly cow! But anyway.

I woke up on January 2nd here to news that WW3 had potentially broken out, since Trump bombed and killed a military icon in Iran, who have since said there will be revenge. So THAT was fun! Thanks ‘Murica!

So, the bushfires… yeah, they have been beyond horrific. There’s images being shown of the burnt-out areas that are bigger than Belgium, and almost the entirety of the UK. I am totally fine where I am, thankfully. Queensland’s bushfires seem to have been contained and I’ve even been able to sleep with my windows open again. There were a few weeks there where I couldn’t, but now the fires in the states south of me are copping it. Even Kangaroo Island (my country’s third largest offshore island) is a quarter burnt through! Every state (except I think NT) has fires.
I keep reading this thing about how 500 Million animals have been killed here, and I can’t help but think “How does my country have 25 million people, but over 500 million animals?” I mean, I guess it could be true given all the different species, but I can’t help feel skeptical about those really high figures. Still, it’s a fucking tragedy no matter the numbers, and things are terrible down south, especially with the navy FINALLY being called in the save those citizens who have had to evacuate to the beaches. And don’t even get me started on our Prime Minister. I didn’t vote for him in the first place and I hate him even more now. He didn’t even inform the fire commissioner that he was (finally) bringing in the army reserves.
I love that fellow Aussies are coming together in this time or horror to help and support financially etc to help people get back on their feet. There are still quite a few out of control fires that I think only rain can put a stop to, but we’re very thankful to all the Canadian, New Zealand and U.S. fire crews that have flown over to help. Some have been here before Christmas, and that’s just amazing.
We only have our current Prime Minister because the alternative vote at the time was for a guy who back-stabbed a sitting PM in his own party at the time, so that was an even worse choice, but I feel like at least he would have handled this fire tragedy at least somewhat professionally, and as a leader should. Not fucking off to Hawaii and releasing a TV ad spruking his own goverment while the nation burns to the ground. Fuck me. Penrith had a 48.9C degree day on Saturday! Just what they need trying to put out bushfires eeeep. That’s 120.2F btw.
Also, Jeremy Clarkson can get fucked an go to hell. Who? https://www.instagram.com/p/B680RxLDWMO/?igshid=1x6qqis5m2cm6

This is probably the most accurate, and best, current video I’ve seen, from an overseas media outlet https://www.facebook.com/brett.hevers/posts/10157154679641491

Meanwhile, Canberra has the worst smoke-haze in the world at the moment. I had to look up yesterday when I’ve booked my trip there, and thankfully it’s still around six weeks away. I’m really looking forward to finally seeing my nation’s Capital City, as it’ll be the last one on my list. I’d rather not do it in a gas-mask though. But hey, if I can handle Beijing, I’m sure it’ll be fine. I never took my holiday that I usually do around my birthday in December, and figured I will be sensible and save it for this trip.

Our lease is up in 2 weeks! Holy crap that went fast. Phil thinks that we should ask for a rent reduction, given the current market here. I’m not really sure how to go about that haha. I don’t mind the current rent, I just don’t want it to go up. We just have to inform reception if we want to stay on for another 6 months or 12 months. I was more of the idea of saying we’d be interested in extending 6 months, but if there was another incentive for staying on for 12, we’d consider that too. They then inform the landord, who gets back to them. But if we want to leave, we have to submit a form by today at the latest (2 weeks notice). We do want to stay on though. I managed to catch Phil as he was headed out the door again last night, but he said he’ll be home by 4pm so I guess we’ll talk then and shoot an email through. He might want to ask for a rent reduction but I’d prefer to ask for an incentive. The rent might even go up for all I know, but I don’t see why, given that rates have stabilized or even gone down over the past year. I thought Phil may have wanted to move out with his boyfriend, given they’ve been together for a year now and he’s not home much, but he seems pretty keen on extending, so yeah. He’s definitely been a non troublesome housemate, thankfully, and I still love the area. I’ve been looking at all the pro’s lately that I like about living here - yeah it’s small but it’s easy to clean, it has a pool, we have a great view, it has a (shitty) gym, it has visitor parking (which unfortunately non visitors take advantage of, but they are trying to combat that with CCTV footage). It’s very close to the supermarket, shops and dining. There doesn’t seem to be any meth labs next door. It’s all round pretty good. We’ll probably send through an email about 4:30 today after I’ve had a talk with Phil about what he wants to do.

Anyway, that’s about all that is exciting atm.

Last updated January 05, 2020