Random stuff about the Coast Writer

When I was 15 I entertained the idea of becoming a star of the stage and screen. I say entertained the idea, the audience… not so much.

I ate all my crusts when I was a kid, and my hair is still not curly.
I work in a solo office, which translates into no-one counting when you are on your 4^th Tim-Tam.
Tea. It’s my thing. Well steeped, splash of milk. And, I’m strictly a leaf girl.

I always wanted to be a journalist as a kid. ALWAYS. Then I grew up and discovered things called deadlines and editors. So I switched to a career in PR where they had things called lovely lunches.
I live, work and faff around on the Mornington Peninsula. It makes the best sand in the world.
I am married to an adventurous chap I call the The Skipper. His escapades have provided excellent chin-wag fodder for endless dinner parties.
I have two children, known in these parts as as the squids, or the little scribblers. They often produce whimsical works of art, and invent outstanding answers for why they did not eat their sandwiches at school.
Growing up I was the rose between two thorns. Two brothers who took turns in tormenting me, and now take turns in sharing hangovers with me when we get together.
When I was a teenager a period of bed rest led me to watching the 1980’s tele-movie musical “Pirates of Penzance” 32 times (C’mon it had Linda Ronstadt singing and Kevin Kline swaggering)
I am a musical theatre junkie, but I have never been able to line up for tickets for any musical with a nautical theme EVER again.
At Uni I majored in Radio Production & Journalism, but was always worried that I didn’t have enough black in my wardrobe to blend in with the other uber-cool radio dudes.

A reckless accident with a vacuum cleaner and a budgerigar in my youth has led my brother to writing and performing a much requested song about me.
A reckless moment crossing a road in Cairo has led my brother to writing and performing a much requested song about me.
I broke my nose when I was 8 years old by recklessly running into a boy’s head. Then I broke it again a month later. My brother has NOT written a song about this.
I ran away from Australia for many years working in the UK, France, Canada and America. I eventually had to come back when all the visas ran out and my parents were adopting too many cats
During my ‘absent from Australia’ years I once worked as a Chalet Girl for posh holiday makers in France, and in the UK I made posh tea for people who wished they were vacationing in the alps.
One of my favourite jobs was a Trafalgar Tours Meet and Greet girl at Heathrow, holding up a clipboard, and walking really fast while jetlagged travelers struggled to keep up. The tips were great, and spending the tips at the pub even better.
A few years ago The Skipper and I lived in a provincial park in Canada. I spent my days obsessing about how many moose I saw on my drive to work, and my nights obsessing about my expanding waist line from eating too many maple glazed donuts.

When I hold Friday night drinks with my office colleagues, it’s just me and a framed picture of William Shakespeare. He’s a Gin man.
If you gave me a choice between chocolate truffles and a cheese platter…I’d go the cheese platter. But I’d palm off a chocky for later!
I have a Retro-Vintage-Meets-Scandinavian-Industrial fetish when it comes to decorating.

I love a good garage sale. Handy when you like Retro-Vintage.
My favourite garage sale purchase has been my Button accordion player for $35. It is not The Skipper’s favourite.
I once dressed as a giant furry wombat at a Mt Buffalo National Park event (the things they make the PR girl do!).

I was once run into by a cyclist whilst I was dressed as a giant furry wombat.
I was once run over by an Egyptian….on a motorbike….in Cairo…on my honeymoon.
My children run around me on a regular basis with their scooters.
I have a rational fear of wheeled items.
One day I will go to the Galapagos islands, and stand on the edge of the world at Terra del Fuego and have a new adventure. I suspect my brother will write a song about this. I hope he pays me royalties soon.