Thrift Shop

 "I wear your granddad's clothes
I look incredible
I’m in this big ass coat
from that thrift shop down the road"

-Thrift Shop by Macklemore feat. Ryan Lewis -

OK. This title and song have absolutely NO connection, not even a tenuous one, to this blog post today. I just LOVE it to a ridiculous level and LOVE the video clip more. And I LOVE CAPS LOCK. More about the song laters...

Update on the saga that I like to call 'My Life', or 'Dr Strange Walsh: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Hospital'. A week after I had the infusion reaction to the Rituximab (which turns out to have been possible start to Stevens-Johnson Syndrome - a very unexciting name for a very exciting way to DIE) I finished up in my Government job. I took a redundancy and after 10 days at home was going completely loco from boredom. I decided spontaneously to book a holiday overseas. My amazing and hairy (thanks to Movember) partner was so cool about it because, well, it was a solo holiday. I didn't ditch him, it was just too difficult for him to get time off and organise our time with the kiddos for him to join me on my really unnecessarily short timeframe. I just had to get away and the sooner the better. I was all, 'I'm bored! I don't have a job! I'm sad! Boo frigging hoo. Me, me,me!' I secretly think he said, 'yes', to get rid of me and my whingeing for a couple of weeks. JK, Wolfgang! But, for reals...kind of.

I started looking for cheap flights et al, until I stumbled across the Intrepid website. They had heavily discounted trips due to last minute vacancies. YES! The only downside for me was that I would have to meet up with some possibly strange, smelly strangers and drive in a car with them. I considered Turkey, because it has always been a dream destination for me, but it was arse-scorchingly hot. On a side note: I also dream of eating turkey. It's delicious. Then I saw a road trip across California, Nevada and Arizona. Cha-ching. I was sold. Within two days it was booked and then I got all worried and regretsy. After flipping back and forth from worried to over-excited I realised that this was possibly the last chance I may get to flit off somewhere on the spur of the moment. It also helped that I was starting the trip with a few days alone to explore San Francisco...OH YEAH. So, I wandered the streets of San Fran trying my best to not look like a tourist, taking covert photographs and strutting like I owned the place. I met several lovely locals, had beer with friendly weirdos and Irish coffees with Colgate models. I was living the dream. I found myself in Haight-Ashbury (I mean, I FOUND myself, man), op-shopping, avoiding crackheads, gazing whistfully at the trees and pretty houses. It was pretty spesh. I walked across the Golden Gate Bridge. After that, I called Wolfgang and informed him that we HAD to live there because it was SO ME. It was love. Just like the times I went to France, Spain, Italy etc. I said the same of the Grand Canyon, Joshua Tree, Death Valley, Williams Arizona and Yosemite. I did not, however, dig Las Vegas. I mean, the place is weird and smelly. And depressing. The only highlight was seeing Elton John play at Caesar's Palace. Oh, and a taco salad I ate and have since replicated at home, much to Wolfgang's dismay. JK Wolfgang! Hollywood sucked. But driving on the 504 between Santa Monica and Hollywood was like taking a cocktail of uppers and downers and trying to keep your eyeballs in their sockets. 

As for the Intrepid experience, I turned out to be the smelly, weird stranger and I even made some friends. Special mentions/Snaps go to: Melissa, a very attractive Yanky Doodle Dandy who drove us across three states safely; Jazzy J (my new partner in crime and the only human who makes yoga gear look good) and Christina, a deceptively shy and unassuming Swiss, who suddenly (and for one night only) breaks out the sequins and turns into a Sex BaBomb. Razzy Award goes to a couple from Australia, who shall remain nameless, for embarrassing everyone at every meal by arguing over tipping. But they were kind of cute, I guess, if you squinted. Ooh, I'm being mean.

I returned home with an extra suitcase packed to the brim with American chocolate, peanut butter and clothes galore. So Christmas shopping is mostly sorted for me. In your face, Santa! While I was away, and especially on my return, I realised that I can't be away from Wolfgang, the kids and my silly dogs for that long ever again. They missed me far too much. ANNNNND I missed them.

Now I am back in the real World seeking gainful employment and anticipating my appointment with Walshie next week to discuss my tingling legs and mouth. I'm expecting some tough treatment decisions coming up. Served cold. Wahh! I'll just go bang my singing bowl....oh, sweet relief.

Hey! I've just worked out a way to link this post to today's song! Now that I am broke, after my holiday and excessive Xmas shopping, I can only afford to go thrift shopping until I get a real job. There you go. I'm a frickin genius. I can't say much about the song and video except, that if you don't like it (Wolfgang, I am looking at you) then your brain, ears and sense of fun are broken.

PS. Mum, if you read this, I am mad at you. I dreamt we had an argument last night and you were MEAN. Let's just say that I won't be borrowing your hair curler any time soon. Call me! xo

Here you go. And, you're welcome: