Café Chick turns 1!

It's been a year since Café Chick started blogging. On 28 November 2007, in a moment of weakness, I set up a blank canvas and wondered what I could write about, and whether I'd be able to maintain anything I started. Still slightly hungover from the pressures of blogging in my professional life, I decided this blog would be different: totally self-indulgent, and simply about things I like, dislike, or just felt like blogging about. And so, Tales from a Café Chick was born and Café Chick said hi.

During this past year, coffee buddies have come and gone; some pop in for the occasional sip, while others regularly join me for virtual coffee dates. I started my 101 in 1001 project and have enjoyed connecting with others also working towards achieving their lists of goals. Tales from a Café Chick has found an international audience, and I have never failed to get excited by the buzz from finding another little red dot appear on my Clustr map. Here's how my map looked at the end of last week:


The map was archived over the weekend; my lovely little red dots have all disappeared and now I have a blank slate once again. It's the start of a new blogging year. I hope you will continue to join me on my blogging journey and help repopulate my Clustr map. It's been great to have your company, and to also get to know so many others all around the world via glimpses into your own blogging lives. Here's to the blogosphere - long may it continue to connect people around the globe!

A stitch in time

This goal was a 'must do', rather than a 'want to do', and it's no surprise that a stitch in time might have saved the nine I did tonight (so to speak). We didn't go dancing, and for some reason I felt the desire to attack the minor mending pile. (Similar to my urge to purge last week, I'm guessing.) Here's what I fixed tonight:

• a ribbon on a keyhole top (not for the first time either)
• the cuff on a pyjama top (which I won't be using again until next winter, but at least now it's done)
• various patches on my wheat pack (ditto)
• a flowy chiffon skirt, which fell apart after only washing it a few times
• a negligee strap (ok, technically I did this one last week). I had only worn it a few times, too!

Here's hoping that's all for now, and that more items of clothing don't mysteriously fall apart in the next week while. Yay for goal #41 - Fix/sew up my clothes that need minor mending.

Paul McCartney - In Red Square

I've been loaned some music DVDs and am in the process of putting some onto my iPod, whenever Handbrake behaves itself.

One DVD I have particularly been looking forward to watching is Paul McCartney - In Red Square. Paul has always been my favourite Beatle (everybody's got to have one), although I firmly believe that The Beatles were strongest when they worked as a single unit, instead of as a group of individuals. Tonight, I sat down with Paul and was transported to the excitement of Russia, beneath the former Iron Curtain.

Wow, what a concert. Not only was it a wonderful celebration of Beatles and McCartney music, with the band staying faithful to the original keys and solos, but the commentary in between each song genuinely added to the full concert experience, rather than serving as a distraction. Despite the hype, there is no doubt that the influence The Beatles had on Russian youth rebellion was phenomenal, evident in the huge crowds at the concerts in Red Square and St Petersburg.

Nineteen songs are included in the first concert, with eleven played during in the second. Naturally, "Back in the USSR" made some repeat appearances, but I was also pleased to hear some of my favourites: "Penny Lane", "Got to Get You Into my Life", "Get Back", "Live and Let Die", and a rare performance of "She's Leaving Home".

Really enjoyable, if you're a Paul fan like me. I've added him to the list of musicians I'd try to see even if they only came to another New Zealand city.

Value every minute

I love this poem. It's so true and incredibly inspiring. The author is unknown, so I'll plagarise it here:

To realise the value of one year: Ask a student who has failed a final exam.
To realise the value of one month: Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realise the value of one week: Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realise the value of one hour: Ask the lovers who are waiting to meet.
To realise the value of one minute: Ask the person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realise the value of one second: Ask a person who has survived an accident.
To realise the value of one millisecond: Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics.
Time waits for no one.
Treasure every moment you have. You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special.

OK, enough of the sentimentality. Café Chick's motives here are actually quite cheeky ...

Yesterday, I experienced a twist to this poem. I was invited to a friend's daughter's christening. It wasn't exactly something I was looking forward to; their first daughter's christening had its share of family dramas, which I'm thankful are mostly resolved now, but that's not the reason I was hoping to wrangle out of the invitation.

I really wasn't looking forward to facing the judge, jury, or any other members of the So have you sorted your life out yet? No? Well, you should just ... otherwise it's all your own fault Squad. This honorary society was formed a number of years ago and is made up of mostly school-friends, along with a collection of other acquaintances, some of whom know my family (and barely know me), but each have in common one or more (or a clean sweep!) of the following (none of which I have):

• a husband
• child/ren
• a picket fence and matching lifestyle in suburbia.

I had already planned to get my sweetie off the hook by saying he was at motorsport that day. (I actually thought he was going to be, but kept to the story even after we realised he wasn't.) I was trying to manufacture a way to put in an appearance, then leave as soon as I could after the service. My 'reason' turned out to be genuine; I was all set for the christening at 3.30pm.

Except it started at 3pm. Arriving at what I thought was ten minutes early, I gritted my teeth and prepared myself to walk into the onslaught, only to find everyone vacating the church and heading downstairs to the hall for afternoon tea. The service had finished; apparently it went well. Hmm, now what to do?

I was naughty. I popped downstairs, chatted briefly to various people from the squad (as well as the baby's parents and grandparents), then said my goodbyes and quietly slipped out. So far, I don't think anyone realised I missed the actual service; they just seem to think they didn't see me at the church because I was sitting at the back, or something! Talk about the value of twenty minutes ...

And that's the way it's going to stay. ;-)

Tag!

I saw this on Sab's blog Seeds of the Heart and thought that she did a cheeky job at tagging by saying "If you read this, TAG! You're it!". But, Café Chick is a sucker for quizzes and things like this, so here goes.

15 things I'm not afraid to admit

1. I don't iron clothes unless I really really REALLY have to. I even buy clothes that don't require ironing especially.
2. I don't own a hair dryer. I don't care about hair products. Or makeup. I brought makeup away with me on holiday and forgot to use it. I often do that.
3. I love all things Disney. I don't care if it's for kids, or immature, or over-commercialised. To me, Disney is magical. (BTW, I always wanted to be Tinker Bell when I was a kid.)
4. I hate roller coasters or any speed/whoosh/spinny/whirly kind of ride at theme parks. I hate them.
5. I love ABBA, Michael Jackson, The Bee Gees, and feel-good disco music. I had a 70s disco theme party for my 30th and had everybody dress up for it, then danced the night away to music from the era.
6. I do cross-stitch embroidery of Victorian women/angels/fairies when I have the time. I have completed 20+ (not sure of the total) designs from the Mirabilia range.
7. I hate capsicums. Even the smell of them makes me sick. Red, green, yellow or orange. Euw. I can even taste when they have been included in a dish and then removed, so no use trying to sneak them up on me!
8. I love the colour purple. Always have, always will.
9. I had not one, but three imaginary friends when I was a kid. Shalagessy, Shack and Catha were great mates.
10. I am a huge Muppets fan. I have their wallpaper on my phone and Animal sings my txt ringtone (Mah Nah Mah Nah). Muppets rock!
11. I am an unashamed coffee snob. I don't drink coffee for a quick caffeine fix. Instead, I'd prefer to enjoy a really good cup of coffee occasionally, rather than settle for something cheap and nasty in the name of "needing a coffee". You don't need that crap; learn to be discerning!
12. I gave up drinking alcohol a few years ago. I will have an occasional glass of wine, cocktail, or sip of beer (once or twice a year), but don't miss alcohol at all. I'd never drunk much before then anyway. You can always count on me to be the sober driver!
13. I'm a night owl by nature, but have to work hard at establishing a sound sleeping routine so I can get up in the mornings for work. It's only marginally easier to do this in summer.
14. I always have a song doing the rounds in my head. Sometimes it's a good thing; often it's incredibly annoying having that earworm cohabiting my grey matter. The songs, or song fragments, change but certain ones have been known to visit over and over again. And again.
15. I like the idea of lists, being organised, devising systems, keeping papers in files, etc, but in reality admin bores me silly. Hence, I really need to be in the mood to devise a system and also need that mood to revisit when it's time to update/revise/add to it. After beating myself up about this personality trait for years, I think I'm finally getting over it; it's just who I am.

"Tag - you're it!"
(Hmm, will any coffee buddies take up this quiz on their own blog now?)

Give old clothes to charity

For a week of every year, I go through a phase of wanting to purge stuff. Anything will do; clothes, books, 'junk', work stuff, resources, etc. This phase usually lasts for one week, and one week only, often in January (during our summer holidays) and once that week is up, it's back to accumulating 'stuff' again until the next phase hits.

I missed my annual purge this year while I was travelling around the South Island, and simply didn't have the desire for it once I got back and into the swing of things at work. For some bizarre reason, I think I'm about to enter this phase early (or perhaps long overdue). It may be due to my contract not being renewed next year, and me needing to get things in order before I can move on. It's more likely related to the fact that I got to sleep at 5:15am today, after fretting the night away. Either way, I've made a small start on a few of my goals which relate to this 'phase'.

Today, I went through my wardrobe and filled a bag with clothes I no longer wear but are still in really good condition, ready to give away to St Vinnie's. I could probably do better, and may go through my drawers in a bit more depth, but it feels good to have made a start. I've put some items on TradeMe and might even tackle some of my bigger 'sorting' goals soon. But, in the meantime, that's another one done: #88 - Give old clothes to charity.