i've been Back for a month now. it's been a bit of a struggle, which is why i've been offline up til now. i've tried out several strategies for getting my head screwed back on, with varying results. here they are, most unscientifically tested concurrently and in succession, in no intentional order, with absolutely no control.
1. stay drunk.
METHOD: self-explanatory.
RESULTS: cheerful, then either cranky, miserable, or unconscious.
CONCLUSION: helps with the initial trauma, but sleeping 16 hours a day can only be called jet lag for the first week. after that it's just the good ol' D-monster.
2. launch self into DIY frenzy
METHOD: zines (see below), homebrew, bracelets and hats, gardening, embroidery, turnupstuffing, and soforth
RESULTS: too restless to focus on one thing. end up standing in hallway with a pair of scissors, a towel, a trowel, a ball of twine, and a lost look. resort to strategy #1.
CONCLUSION: could work if not so fucken distracted.
3. have a room in a house.
METHOD: happen to show up when keg's going to nyc for 3 months.
RESULTS: strange mixture of comfort and captivity. i'm trying not to get too domesticated, despite the pleasures of surrounding myself with things and walls and having spots for all the trinks i've been accumulating. keg's stuff is brightly coloured. it makes me less of a cranky old bastard.
CONCLUSION: hard to avoid becoming a housecat, but worth it for the short term
4. make ludicrous plans and rash decisions
METHOD: teach self astrology, start facilitation consultancy, convert abandoned bulding into artists retreat, plot move to alice springs, etc
RESULTS: highly distracting, which is good, but huge potential for both overcommitment and failure.
CONCLUSION: this is quite a normal life strategy for me, so i'll let you know in thirty years
5. go bush
METHOD: cycle around beautiful parts of nsw freely accessible by rail, camp out and swim and look at wildlife and think how awesome it is to be in this country
RESULTS: that was the last two days, and apart from a little sunburn and stiffness i feel so much better
CONCLUSION: so far this is my favourite method. hopefully my motivation and fitness levels will eventually rise to meet my ambitions. basically it comes down to pretending that you're still travelling, and just happen to be in the same place you were last week. maybe it's time to teach myself NLP.
and now, a word from our sponsors.
the zineflog: you can order the hardcover version of the first year of this blog complete with illustrations from my travels and extra tales, all nicely bound (each one unique), by sending $5 to jenjen, PO Box 729, Glebe NSW 2037.
my favourite journal, total cardboard, has a new issue out, you should go get it. i'm story of the month on the tc website.
the dole office finally agreed to pay me today despite the fact that i can't sufficiently identify myself yet. it only took a month, three visits, two appointments and a handful of phone calls. they might not be everyone's favourite government department but gee it's nice to have the remnants of a welfare state as opposed to, say, military service. ta, sphincterlink.
now that i've almost got my head screwed back on, i'm taking my fortune telling to the streets of sydney, so if you see me sittin there with my cardboard sign, please drop by for a chat. that's all for now; gotta go do all the stuff i'm halfway through...
1. stay drunk.
METHOD: self-explanatory.
RESULTS: cheerful, then either cranky, miserable, or unconscious.
CONCLUSION: helps with the initial trauma, but sleeping 16 hours a day can only be called jet lag for the first week. after that it's just the good ol' D-monster.
2. launch self into DIY frenzy
METHOD: zines (see below), homebrew, bracelets and hats, gardening, embroidery, turnupstuffing, and soforth
RESULTS: too restless to focus on one thing. end up standing in hallway with a pair of scissors, a towel, a trowel, a ball of twine, and a lost look. resort to strategy #1.
CONCLUSION: could work if not so fucken distracted.
3. have a room in a house.
METHOD: happen to show up when keg's going to nyc for 3 months.
RESULTS: strange mixture of comfort and captivity. i'm trying not to get too domesticated, despite the pleasures of surrounding myself with things and walls and having spots for all the trinks i've been accumulating. keg's stuff is brightly coloured. it makes me less of a cranky old bastard.
CONCLUSION: hard to avoid becoming a housecat, but worth it for the short term
4. make ludicrous plans and rash decisions
METHOD: teach self astrology, start facilitation consultancy, convert abandoned bulding into artists retreat, plot move to alice springs, etc
RESULTS: highly distracting, which is good, but huge potential for both overcommitment and failure.
CONCLUSION: this is quite a normal life strategy for me, so i'll let you know in thirty years
5. go bush
METHOD: cycle around beautiful parts of nsw freely accessible by rail, camp out and swim and look at wildlife and think how awesome it is to be in this country
RESULTS: that was the last two days, and apart from a little sunburn and stiffness i feel so much better
CONCLUSION: so far this is my favourite method. hopefully my motivation and fitness levels will eventually rise to meet my ambitions. basically it comes down to pretending that you're still travelling, and just happen to be in the same place you were last week. maybe it's time to teach myself NLP.
and now, a word from our sponsors.
the zineflog: you can order the hardcover version of the first year of this blog complete with illustrations from my travels and extra tales, all nicely bound (each one unique), by sending $5 to jenjen, PO Box 729, Glebe NSW 2037.
my favourite journal, total cardboard, has a new issue out, you should go get it. i'm story of the month on the tc website.
the dole office finally agreed to pay me today despite the fact that i can't sufficiently identify myself yet. it only took a month, three visits, two appointments and a handful of phone calls. they might not be everyone's favourite government department but gee it's nice to have the remnants of a welfare state as opposed to, say, military service. ta, sphincterlink.
now that i've almost got my head screwed back on, i'm taking my fortune telling to the streets of sydney, so if you see me sittin there with my cardboard sign, please drop by for a chat. that's all for now; gotta go do all the stuff i'm halfway through...
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