Introspection

I am full of p.a.r.a.n.o.i.a recently, which has made me reluctant to blog.  It's because I've been reading, and loving, my book "Eat, Pray, Love" and then I read some reviews which are just brutal!   They've accused the writer of such terrible traits as "self-indulgence", of being "whiney", of having "ego mania" and generally, of her book being "hard to stomach".  Yikes. Here I am reading it and really enjoying it and now I wonder if possibly I am on another planet. I like to read the New York Times on-line but it does tend to make me feel I am some sort of cultural pygmy...  So, now I worry about what I'm writing in this blog.  Blah, blah, blah.  Yawn, yawn, yawn.  Why can't we just all 'fess up and admit that we just love a bit of blithering blah & flicking through trashy mags at the supermarket checkout rather than pretending we are intellectuals.  I am NOT an intellectual.  I love to watch 'Dr 90210' and rant about Dr Rey's selfish wife,

I love to eat macaroni & cheese while I leaf through Harper's Bazaar, I love to admit that I have No Idea who Leonard Cohen is...  That's me, so take it or leave it!  I do actually know who Leonard Cohen is, but I've not taken much notice of him.  And you know what?  I don't care for Coldplay either.
 There....  it's out.   Ahhhhhh,  I feel so much better.  Steve & I went to a SuperFunky cafe the other day (by accident) when we were looking in retro furniture stores and decided we needed caffeine.  The place was full of pierced, ultra-tattooed hip dudes.  We both felt quite intimidated but the reality is, the people-watching was incredible!  Does anyone else feel this way?  Or am I just being ultra-sensitive and self-indulgent?  

MFJIT sent me a parcel from Austin, Texas today.  What a lovely, lovely, wonderful, super surprise when I got home from work - to see that little square box sitting by my front door, full of promise.  I tore it open to find all sorts of American goodies such as a truly brilliant Starbucks Christmas decoration and some mocha powder and a couple of running shirts, one of which says, "Try to Keep Up" which will be a major hoot as I tend to always be at the end...  A parcel brings So Much Joy.  Just think of all the situations where people are in receipt of a parcel, or even a letter, and consider the anticipation and excitement and true pleasure it brings to them as they tear open the ultra-tenacious sticky tape, the styrofoam prawn chips, the labels... It's truly a sensation that can't be beaten.  It's up there with the excitement of an overseas holiday, the pleasure of seeing a friend after a long time or the delight in finding a true bargain at your favourite handbag shop.