The following is not a blogoff post

No blogoff post from me this week. I've been eliminated from the competition, leaving three wonderful writers still in the race. Check them out and drop them a line: Chris and Evey, Just Another Week, Write2B.

Courtney will be running another blogging competition in July, this time with no elimination but a cumulative total. Drop over to Five Second Dance Party and leave her a comment if you want to play the game.

I was actually surprised that I made it this far in the blog-off. Ironically, I was eliminated just as my chosen word 'dreams' was the topic of the week. I wonder if this has happened with any other blogoff participants. But I'm relieved in a way. This was a hectic week with a work trip to Brisbane and I probably wouldn't have had time to blog. The trip to Brisvegas and the workshop was so full-on, I even succumbed to drinking a coke that first afternoon (I so needed caffeine), and then two glasses of wine later that night. But I haven't relapsed - it was a one-off.

And seriously, we are going to end the blogoff next week (I presume) with the topic SHAMPOO. So glad that I'm not tackling that one.

I feel like I've already won no matter how far I got through the rounds of the blog-off. A new word topic every week challenged every writing muscle I possessed, and probably a few I didn't realise I had. I've discovered I can write on just about any topic presented to me. (still not sure about that 'shampoo' and glad I'm not going to find out.)

One of my big dreams since I first started conjuring up stories was to be a writer. And I have achieved that dream over the years by the mere act of writing, being an active member in my writers' group and participating in writing challenges such as this one. My dream now is to be a published writer (not just published in group anthologies or self-published) and to take a step to achieve that dream, I am now going to log off, turn off the internet, take the laptop out to my front verandah, and work on my Diary of the Future competition entry.

Blogoff Post: Golden

It's funny, I think I 'm starting to measure my life in Blog-off Posts. Yes, another week has passed and it's time for the weekly blog-off. This week the one word topic is 'golden'. Courtney is raising money for the Breast Cancer walk and we're blogging off in support.

All things golden have been a pursuit of man since they struck their first gold vein.

The pharoahs of Egypt were incredibly materialistic. Not only did they believe in surrounding themselves with gold in their lifetime, they did not subscribe to the saying 'you can't take it with you.' They were certainly going to do their best, even if they couldn't prevent the tomb robbers from stripping the valuables of their afterlife.

I wonder if that's where it all started. This obsession with gold, the idea that this element is more precious than anything else on this earth. It's a catalyst for greed, and has caused fights, battles and wars. Government and churches hoard it, and people lust after it.

The legend of the Midas Touch is created around the lust for gold. Pity for Midas that everything he touched turned to gold. Now it might be grand to have a gold toilet seat but when you can't eat because your food is rock solid then you have problems.

For a while, I felt that I had the opposite of the Midas touch where everything I touched turned to crap. It was extremely frustrating and as much as I strived the end result was not what I wanted. But life is turning around. While the astrologers may attribute it to Jupiter moving through my sun sign, I attribute it to something else. I've stopped trying to please everyone else. Now I aim to satisfy my own creative urge and with that focus, I am succeeding.

I haven't eschewed everything golden in my life. There's still one golden boy who is more precious to me than any number of carats. And here is Dorkus....

Laughter - Blogoff Post # 1

My mother knew how to laugh. Big belly laughs that could rock a whole row of cinema seats. Her chuckles were like a minor earthquake, measuring on the Richter scale.

I miss my mother so much. I miss her wicked sense of humour, her smile and her laugh. I'm ashamed that I was so embarrassed by her as a teenager because now I can think of no happier sound than my mother's laughter. Mum enjoyed and loved life, and wanted to share that enjoyment with everyone: check-out chicks, the neighbours she bumped into down the street, the cats, the dogs, the cockatoo and especially her family.

Mum didn't learn to drive until I was 13 years old. But once she gained her licence and her independence, there was no holding her back. She loved driving, deliberately weaving or kangaroo hopping down a quiet street - just for fun - and she relished the opportuniity to get lost, take the long way round and discover new places along the way.

Driving gave her the opportunity to try new things. She took up cooking classes and prepared culinary banquests in several cuisines. She took oil painting lessons for a few years but she found her talent in cake decorating, churning out wedding cakes, christening cakes, cakes for any occasion.

For Dad's 50th birthday, she made a pick-up truck cake with a 'load of hot cock' because that was one of his favourite sayings at the time. The tray was filled with chocolate penises, and a pair symbolised the wipers. The sight of the cake was a catalyst of laughter for the party guests and this photo is a permanent reminder of my mum's wicked sense of humour.


So now in my first blog-off post for boobs, I've mentioned breasts and hot cocks, so I guess I'll get a few hits from the raincoat brigade. So while you're here, gentlemen, show your appreciation for the female body and follow the link to make a donation for breast cancer research!