The Ramblings of my Disorganised Mind

Goodbye 2004 and a Happy New Year

As you all know, the end of 2004 wasn't the best. Natural disasters and man-made atrocities seemed to dominate the year... but then, that could also be because that's all the news ever reports.

The latest on the horrible loss of life in the Boxing Day tsunamis... I'm getting to the point where the sheer numbers are making the mind numb. The australian situation is this as of this morning:

Grave concerns for 111 Aussies
January 1, 2005

THE Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade says nine Australian citizens and two permanent residents have lost their lives in the Asian tsunamis and it now has grave concerns for 111 people.

The death toll includes three people from Queensland, three from Western Australia, one each from Victoria, NSW and South Australia, one from the ACT, and one who was living in Sri Lanka.

It says it has not accounted for around 1000 Australians who may have been in the areas affected by the tsunamis.

Around 650 of those may have been in the Phuket region of Southern Thailand and around 180 in Sri Lanka.

The department says at this stage, it has grave concerns for 111 Australians who are known to have been in the affected areas and are missing.

It says 96 Australians are missing in Thailand, six in Indonesia, six in Sri Lanka, two in India and one in the Maldives.

At this stage 28 Australians have been admitted to hospital, 24 in Thailand and four in Sri Lanka.

Further information on the Indian Ocean Tsunamis and the Australian Government's response is available on the DFAT website at www.dfat.gov.au.

However, yesterday a man was pulled alive (after 5 days with no water!) from the rubble in worst-hit Aceh province in Indonesia yeasterday. He was found 2kms from where he had been standing when the waves hit him. So, hooray!

HMAS Kenimbla is on her way to Aceh today. Go guys. Keep well.

I've always had a leery attitude towards the ocean and coastal living, but not, believe it or not, because of the thought of tidal waves. I've never felt drawn to the ocean in the way others do and you wouldn't get me on a cruise if you paid me.

Perhaps if you paid me.

I'll paddle, it's not a "fear", exactly, I'm just not overly fond of it. I'll walk along the beach with a loved one, but I find the idea of a camping trip under the stars in the mountains more romantic. I was a fairly strong swimmer in my 20s. I haven't done it for a while so can't say that now, and LOVE swimming, actually, would do it more often if there was a nearby indoor pool (I burn very easily) and I had more personal time. And I had a pair of swimmers to fit. Just not in the ocean.

Surfing? Forgedduboudit.

But I'll catamaran on a lake. Go figure.

Personally, 2004 was what I would term a "good year", even taking into account some of the drama. Perhaps because of some of the drama!

Certainly counting the blessings today.

Last night I went to bed at about 12.15, due to the need to get a LOT done today. I have washing on. I always seem to have washing on. I am glad to have washing on. :-)

Do other people feel this way during a tragedy that doesn't touch them personally? Guilty for the fact it doesn't?

I didn't make any New Year's resolutions, but then, I never do. I figure if I am going to resolve to do something, or change something, why wait until new year to do it? If I become aware that something needs doing, and it's in my power to do something about it, and I'm capable of it, then I'll do it at the time. If not, then I'll either quit worrying about it, or wait until I can--or want to--do something about it.

Finally served the ex with his papers yesterday. He got verbally abusive to me once my friend (who served him) had gone inside. Despite the fact he knew they were coming. Despite the fact that he'd yelled at me 3 months ago "Where are my *7#ing divorce papers?"

At least I know I made the right decision, despite all of his claims he's changing, he clearly isn't. I don't know why that should upset me, but it does. I can't help but think the fact he's still prepared to abuse me in front of the littlest kids shows a certain lack of clarity regarding his effect on others. My daughter (almost 8) wants to love her father but is starting to find it difficult. I know how she feels, poor thing, and it is becoming difficult to encourage them to be as loyal to their father as they feel they need to be while still encouraging respect for me (who they live with, of course). Boys who can't respect their own mother will find it difficult to respect other women.

Sigh.

Unfortunately, sans any change in behaviour, he will be dealing with substantial loneliness very soon. Both he and the kids miss out in that event.

Meanwhile...

I would like to share a post sent to the Canberra Speculative Fiction Guild list (I am a member of said list because of my former dwelling) by Allan:

Best wishes for the Summer Solstice

Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an
environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low stress, non-addictive,
gender neutral celebration of the summer solstice holiday, practiced within
the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or
the secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious or
secular persuasions and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to
practice religious or secular traditions at all.

May you have a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically
uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar
year 2005, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other
cultures whose contributions to society have helped to make Australia great
(not to imply that Australia is necessarily greater than any other country)
and without regard to the race, creed, colour, age, physical ability,
religious faith, political belief, choice of computer platform or sexual
preference of the wishee.

By accepting this greeting you are accepting these terms. This greeting is
subject to clarification or withdrawal. It is freely transferable with no
alteration to the original greeting. It implies no promise by the wisher to
actually implement any of the wishes for herself or himself or others, is
void where prohibited by law and is revocable at the sole discretion of the
wisher. This wish is warranted to perform as expected within the usual
application of good tidings for a period of one year, or until the issuance
of a subsequent holiday greeting, whichever comes first, and the warranty is
limited to replacement of this wish or issuance of a new wish at the sole
discretion of the wisher.

I'll second that. :-D

posted by Heather @ 9:22 am