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Things may be glossy and peachy somewhere else in the world, but not this corner of the kingdom. Not around me turning 27.

I got so many phone calls today. Nanny Tess, Brendan, Dad, Justin, Marion, Tuneil, Noah, Leila and Glen all called me to wish me a happy birthday. Facebook and SMS world were also plentiful.

My day really was no different from yesterday, or the day before.

Did it matter that mum had bought me my first mango of the season yesterday? I wasn't too invested in eating one for breakfast this morning. And I waited 2 hours before eating. Likewise, I didn't feel much like eating come lunchtime. Nor did eating serve me well this evening.

I had debated that it was strange to bake your own birthday cake. Like, anything anyone else did wasn't good enough. However, I managed somehow to be cutting up spongecake and spreading lemon toffee come the afternoon. Milk was a bad choice.

I also made my own dinner. Like, anything anyone else could do wasn't good enough. I'd like to appreciate the fortunate situation that has smiled upon me in the original plan of chicken and salad. Millions of people go days, weeks even without food. But my fortune, class and diet tell me otherwise. It sometimes feels too much to be catered for as a vegetarian.

These uphill battles I set myself are exhausting, expecting to keep finding rewards at the end. Really, I'm just being difficult or moody or angry or self important or pig headed.

For instance, my parents bought me an iPad for my birthday. Thats over one thousand dollars* of investment in a useless device. For an unemployed scum of the earth sponger like myself, I think I hardly deserve such a pointless luxury. There are so many things I need before this pointless gift. Things that I don't want to be handed to me by my parents on my birthday. Things I need to acquire by earning them. Louise is getting it instead as I stupidly opened it in panic.

I'm completely surrounded by darkened clouds in a boarded up room, jobless, homeless and alone. Meanwhile my parents spend a ridiculous amount of money with nothing but good intentions and well meanings on me. Now, the room is filled with guilt and anxiousness. Guilt for the pointlessness with which my parents spent money. Anxiousness for the copious amounts of things they could have spent it on, or I could have spent it on. And here I am, black hearted and unappreciative. Frustration.

I am Ugly. And Selfish. And Not Worth Your Time.

Fruit of the Moment: Those things Brendan made for me

*by my calculations at the online apple store $1,400

This is my funeral t-shirt

And today's Mundane Hard Working Achievement Of The Hour Award goes to Kenney Ogilvie for not only cleaning his parent's 2nd bathroom, but having the foresight to use sugar soap on the glass and mirrors first to remove grime and scum before getting out the Windex.

Later, I watched Easy A as a means to bask in the glory of my trophy. And it's an impressive dive into teen sarcasm and word play with nostalgic throw backs to the high school teen films of the 1980's. Not to mention shirtless Penn Badgley to sweeten the deal.

Tonight, Seussical rehearsals had us moving around to the opening number once more. Although since it got fast and energetic, the singing was (as always at the beginning of such things) a gigantic effort that left me huffing and sweating. One of the 16 year old smokers in the cast was beside himself, coughing and spluttering all night.

Fruit of the Moment: Betty Crocker's Ready Made Frosting Tub

You've had enough Mondos

This morning, the troupes were on the move by the time I emerged from my tent. I had secured the chairs the night before so that no frost became of them. As a result, everyone was without a seat for 30 minutes. But soon enough everyone was busy packing away their gear and in talks of heading away.

Being ushered out of the park, as it were, I take Louise and head to the nearby town of Taralga where we find the Lion's Sunday markets.

A dust cloud or two later, we arrive back in the heat; the actual hotness of Campbelltown. And i'm busy washing the dirt and grime off my poor Beybalu. He was sparkling and new by the time we had arranged a picnic dinner with Tuneil and Noah. Other Scooby Gang members such as Justin, this guy and Aneesa were invited. But Justin was at the end of a long weekend, this guy was doing homework*, and Aneesa was working in lay-by.

We had good times and noodle salad in Park Central. Later, Noah kicked Uncle Brendan in the balls** and refused to listen to me when I was scolding him: demanding an apology on behalf of the incapacitated Uncle Brendan. Tuneil, with a mere flicker of an eyelash, had her son appreciating the situation on a scale larger than himself.

Fruit of the Moment: red-eyed-buldging-flies

*when you are working on homework for the 2nd last day of the school year, you deserve a $20,000 University grant. Just sayin'

** HARD

Will my camera melt?

This morning, as I waited for the sun to creep over the tall trees lining my tent to thaw the bitter cold from the previous night, I read more from Stephen King's Cell.

When I finally emerge thanks to heat, my first encounter was a teenager muttering to himself in gibberish, walking in a circle outside my tent. This freaked the shit outa me. Mostly because 'Cell' was about teenage zombies that mutter to themselves and walk around in circles. It took a few moments to register reality. Thankfully, he wasn't a zombie. He was a mentally retarded kid on holiday with his folks for the weekend. His name was Brendan and he talked to anyone who came within a 20m radius of him. Including myself.

Louise, Brendan and special guest star Chris arrived around midday like I had predicted over a breakfast of blueberry muffins and we promptly struggled with the second larger tent they bought with them.

Such days of worriless relaxation I have not seen in a long time. As we read and talked and Catan-ed and made french toast, I felt like things were once again possible.

Bear Grylls, aka Chris made not only a makeshift fridge in the river, but a roaring fire* to cook our tins of spaghetti. And with a Bananagrams game under our belt, Louise and I were fire dancing to the songs of Glee; much to the amusement (or bemusement) of Brendan, I felt.

Fruit of the Moment: Bedazzled Jumpers

*Brendan, also made the fire

Hang on, I just have to tell the dogs to stay outside

I wake up real early, maybe it's 5am? I don't know. In anycase, i've slept for an unusually long amount of time. First, I'm angry that I didn't pack for camping last night. Then I remember why I went to bed.

Feeling cheated out of this week's gossip girl, and in a better mood to start the day with, I give the go ahead with the episode and enjoy the awesome gossip girl goodness.

Ultimately, I am awaiting mum getting out of bed. Unresolved arguments have become second-hand nature to us now. Which is unfortunate. I feel that since returning from America, my grasp on standing up for myself has slid back into old patterns of letting small things insidiously wrap their way around my patience until it snaps like an exploding balloon in a Michael Bay film. The point is, i'm letting issues I have with my parents, among others, slide when I shouldn't.

As predicted, mum wakes up before I leave but we barely say two sentences to each other. I would have left much earlier had I of done my washing last night, but sleep it seemed, won me over earlier that anticipated.

Not really knowing who was turning up this weekend for sure, I head across country to Wombeyan Caves. To my knowledge, Glen and Leila were arriving this afternoon, while Louise and Brendan were joining us tomorrow. My phone reception ran out at around 3pm, and since no-one is here, I guess for some reason or other Glen and Leila were deterred. My clue to their absence was a single voice message I received from Glen earlier having doubts about joining.

I arrived to a deserted camping grounds. Ghostly really. It took a few hours before anyone started to arrive and even then, they were all headed to the opposite side of the park. So I get my chair, once the tent was erected and start devouring Stephen King's 'Cell'.

When it got cold, I relocated to my sleeping bag. When it got too dark, I wished I had bought a candle.

It is a bitter cold and restless night.

Fruit of the Moment: Veggie Pastie

You're not going to tell anyone about that weird black woman are you?

When you get a call from Casual Direct and they ask if you would LIKE to work at a specific school, you know something is up. Usually, they just ask if you are free to work and then place you. But this morning, I was asked if I would like to work at Sarah Redfern Primary on year 6. Not seeing this as much as a problem, I kept calm and carried on.

It was excellent to therefore, have my confidence tested when executive after executive kept wishing me luck with the day. One even when as far as telling me I wouldn't be able to handle it and promptly rearranged my schedule to take a kindergarten class instead.

Not that I'm complaining. I just scored the world's easiest casual day ever. Kindergarten team teaching with 50% of kids away. Yes please.

After work, I managed to travel around Campbelltown on various errands.

Which wore me out something fierce.

I was looking forward to watching Gossip Girl, but a serious row about what I wanted for my birthday* with mum left me in a foul mood. So I watched The Event instead.

And went promptly to bed at 7:40pm for a nap, or what observers would later call a 10 hour rest session. Apologies for everyone who sent me a txt last night.

Fruit of the Moment: Vanilla Malt

*This is why I didn't want anything for my birthday. My ideas are always too complicated or poor in timing or too expensive. If I want complicated, expensive or difficult and you're not prepared, able or in the financial position to do that, then I don't want a substitute. The gesture is insulting.

work was so shifty!!

I realised as I crashed into the wall this morning that doing nothing all day really takes it toll on you. Of course, it helps cement the metaphor when you literally are hitting a wall with your body.

I am not too sure how this whole holiday season is going to pan out. Mostly because things are really not worth celebrating. Regardless, December plods along.

In taking mum into town for shopping, the day went quicker than usual. Also, having rehearsals for Seussical helped. Heathcote Rd being closed, didn't help however. Especially since I had to drive halfway into the city to turn back.

I once again did practically nothing. But i'm getting to know all the people doing nothing. So it makes time pass in a good way.

Fruit of the Moment: Vanilla Yo Yo