What I'm grateful for...

January 3:
1. Padded bed-heads: Don’t ask me how, but I’ve managed to bash my head against the wooden bed-head in my hotel room twice. Can’t imagine what the guests in the next room might be thinking but there’s only me and Paul Mercurio on the telly in this room.
2. Tiffany’s Perth: My favourite store is the perfect place to escape the heat while in Perth.
3. Karratha: I visited Karratha in 2001 as part of a writing tour and the place provided me with a friendship for life – Michelle and I spent the day talking and shopping. Karratha also provided me with creative inspiration and an interesting night out to remember. I’m looking forward to returning there one day.
4. Novotel Perth: There’s a roof-top spa that overlooks the Swan River – fairly impressive. Might go have another spa right now.
5. Living in Sydney: I like Perth, and the WA coast, really I do. But it’s so hot, every day. Right now I long for the southerly that comes up every afternoon where I live.

January 2nd
1. Dolphins: I got to pat Flipper this morning. Well, it probably wasn’t Flipper but her great, great grandson. It was the most soothing, gentle experience. I think I’d rather a pet dolphin rather than a dog. Although, not sure how I’d go walking a dolphin.
2. Fishing: well cray-fishing to be exact. Squid-ing too. I am grateful to locals Den Den and Olga who took me out about 5.30am to check their craypods. It was cold and wet and windy as the sun rose. I was less than elegant getting in and out of the boat in my white shift and black underwear. I told them they were my coizzies but let’s face it, who’s gonna see me at 5.30am anyway? It was a first for me and now I can tick it of the list of things I’ve done before I die.
3. 7-11: I’m grateful for the convenience store where I raced to for ‘essential’ items like deodorant, V and Twisties.
4. Hotel Gyms: I’m on the road a lot so it was good to check into a hotel with a gym and fluff around a little bit with hand weights fooling myself that it will balance out the amount I’ve eaten the past week.
5. Routines: I’m REALLY grateful for the routine I will get back into when I get home. For some reason I eat better and exercise more and drink less when I’ve got a routine, schedule and ‘To Do’ list.

January 1st 2010
1. Waking up without a hangover: My mantra was to ‘Start the year the way you want it to play out!’ so waking up healthy and hangover free was a must! It also made hitting the golf course easier...
2. Golf: Although I’m not very good at it, I like to hit golf balls, at the driving range and on the golf course, so I was grateful to a local, Denis – affectionately known as Den Den - who took me out on the Ledge Point Golf Course for nine holes. Den Den had a golf cart which he let me drive. I had to put a P plate on it though. It didn’t have power steering but I manouvered it well. It was incredibly windy on the course, making well placed shots difficult. The upside was that every ball – and I mean EVERY ball – went astray, but I could at least say ‘The wind took it!’
3. Cooking: Other people’s cooking that is, as I’m sure we’ve established that the kitchen is my least favourite room in the house. I was fortunate enough to indulge in crayfish, oysters, scallops and prawns all prepared by locals and guests who dropped by. I could live like this but at last count I was gaining 1kg per day since landing in WA!
4. Wii: I’ve finally caught up with the technology and been introduced to golf and 10 pin bowling. It was fun. I liked watching the styles of some of my friends, the jumps for joy when winning and the slumps when losing. Me? I’m not really the competitive type, and don’t really care who wins at sport. Having said that, if I win I like to do a lap of honour ala Cathy Freeman.
5. Grosmos: I was making cocktails for friends (not me, because I don’t want hangovers , remember?) and ran out of cranberry juice. So a quick look in the cool room – yes rich white people have cool rooms – and found some grapefruit just and voila! I invented the Grosmo. Am told it was delish.