OwhiroMamas

News and views from two ladies at the bottom of the world.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

Marolyn: Busy Busy Busy


I guess this is the time to be as busy as I am.

In the past two weeks, I think I've worked way too much - more than 100 hours. So much, and still I am contemplating going in today, a Saturday. Hmmmm. That's too much.

The good thing about working so much is that I make money, which I will admit is the main reason I am doing this job. Which, I will freely admit, doesn't place my drive in the exact right place when I am at work, sitting there at 8pm. It's not love and passion for the work, it's cold hard cash.

So I'm floating in this world of waking early, going to work about 7.30am, eating breakfast there, staying in a windowless room staring at computers for the next 11 hours, listening to Classic Hits (which aren't at all), managing negative people, come home, eat, decompress, go to bed early and start again. The good thing about this job, apart from the money, is that I am building confidence and experience as a manager.

A lot of people work at jobs just for the money. I'd like to think I could live by Joseph Campbell's principle of following your bliss and trusting that the money will follow, but I don't exactly know what my bliss is right now. Therefore, I'm saving up in the meantime so I can have a stash under the matress when the bliss tornado scoops me up and I am blinded by happiness and fullfillment.

Anyway, onto other things.

I am so ready for Ruth to get pregnant. Very excited. Bring on the bubs. For the first time, I am feeling ready for it all. Maybe it is because I am more secure in my employment (although I refuse to work these hours once we have a little one) and have some goals. Maybe it's becuase I love hanging out with Ateo and Nicola. Maybe it's because it's so right. Whatever the reason, I'm happy.

We went to Auckland last weekend and it was so fun. It has a great feeling to it. I've only heard negative things about the city, but I felt much more at home there than I ever have in Wellington. After LA, when we move back to NZ, we will move to Auckland.

much love,
Marolyn

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Ruth: Honey, she's a real Honey


Marolyn and I have finally fulfilled one of the pledges we made to ourselves on returning from LA this time. We have bought a diesel car to convert to vegie oil. A diesel nissan vanette with $1000 worth of camping equipment to be exact. We have named her Honey.

This lovely old fella from the Wairarapa has a hobby of buying decent old vans and kitting them out with all the camping equipment a pair of backpackers could ever want, then selling them off at incredibly reasonable prices.

When we rounded the figure up a little to get to an even $3000 he kept throwing in free stuff. Finally we realised he wasn't going to take any more money off us so we gave him a bottle of wine and some cookies instead of upping the figure any more.

It's funny how generosity is self perpetuating. I've found the same is true for meaness. I've experienced both ends of that spectrum lately and I think that concious leap of faith to out-generous someone else can make all the difference. It's just almost painful to contemplate when I'm in the place of "but he only...", "but I always...". I guess the only thing for me is to be the person I want to be and let the universe balance the scales as it chooses.