The Book of Ashes

Beautiful day 6:20AM

I awoke to a day, cold and beautiful, reminiscent of the perfect Alexandrian days. Frost covered the windshields of cars and my breath was clearly visible against the cloud free sky. I arrived at work and found the envelope I had been waiting for and yes baby yes, I got the pay rise I had been hoping for... it was beautiful. I was babbling incoherently for hours afterwards. Life is sweet. So I sat through a development meeting with only 3 of us, rather than the usual 7, staring wistfully out at the perfect day. We got through that and I hooned off to Damians place. There I fixed a few quick bugs in the diary entry code and then went round to a bar that looked perfect for my 25th. It looked perfect, it costed not so perfect, man I was looking at 5 thou to hire that place out, stuff that. So I was a bit saddened by that, everywhere I had looked was already taken or too expensive.

Oh yeah, hmmm... lets tell this part of the day as a story. Flash back to the night of the couch mission. Damian was coming up the road to my place. Some chicks drove past him at the traffic lights and one yelled out her friends phone number to him. So he put it in his phone book and messaged her. He's messaged back and forth every once and a while ever since, not knowing what she looks like. Today he gave her our web site address. She went looking through and thought it was real cool. She was trying to guess which one he was, Are you Ashley? No. Damn, he's cool. Are you Crispy? No. You must be Damian then... yeah! He was a bit bummed that his name almost came up last. I was happy that mine came up first... The legend that is the Perihelion is growing.

It was my Nana's 70th birthday today (puts my 25th to shame) so I went up to see her. She was looking good and my auntie was there who had baked a layered chocolate/cherry cake (it had a fancy name but I forget). It was great. I hung around and helped cut the cake for the afternoon. The day was still perfect, infact it was most splendiferous.

So I came home, sorted out a quick bill and found a message from the Perihelion site. Someone had sent me my first message. Yay! It was from a girl called Kate in Aussie (not the Kate I know) who had read my request for people who didn't know me to message me that I put up yesterday. Talk about getting feedback... thats what its all about. I have a global audience now, people are listening, glued to their monitors as they read the next riveting words. Anyway enough of the head swell. Thanks Kate for the message. You should have seen the big grin I had on my face for the next half hour or so, that made my day.

So I decided to go for a blade since the day was so good and headed out. Blading was awesome, I went into work, dropped Damians keys back off to him and then headed home. On the way home I thought I'd just drop into a bar and check it out, and what do you know, it does private functions. I now have some where to host my birthday. I just need to organise the rest..

part ii 6:33AM

So much has happened today that I'm getting things out of order and all muddled up. Lets go back to yesterday where I was talking to Kramer, an ex-flatmate from Dunners. Now when we were down there we challenged each other to a race up the hill. I was so unfit but said that since he smoked, he didn't have a chance of beating me. That was a challenge he couldn't refuse so we lined up on the road and our other flatmate Ellen yelled out go. I think he underestimated me a little as I took off with my long legs at a terrifying pace. He was left a little behind but began to catch up. Nearing the top of the hill he was catching up and I was tiring but I managed to just touch the car we had picked out as the finish before him. I collapsed to the side feeling nauseous, then managed to walk back to the flat, where Kramer promptly challenged me to another run up the hill. I told him I'd be sick if I ran any further but he wouldn't take that and ran up the hill by himself. He then said that he had beaten me the second time so he was fastest. Neither of us likes to be second best. Now yesterday I challenged him to a rematch at this race. This is his chance to redeem himself. I am a lot fitter than I was back then but he has also given up smoking (or so he says) and is not to be underestimated. In order to succeed here I am going into rigorous training. I have the mammoth hill behind me (Hawker street in Mt Vic for those that know it) and my goal is to be able to run up that and make it all the way to the lookout at the top of Mt Vic without stopping. Good luck to me...

Right now back to the crane. I was walking back past Cambridge Tce and saw the road all closed off. A thin type of crane had toppled over with a large load, falling across the road and pulling down some power lines. Man, I was glad I wasn't walking past there when that happened. I walked past about 3 times today and there was always big groups of people just gathered round looking. I took some photos so might see if I can put those up. That was a little bit of excitement for the night though.

Ok too much talking from me, gotta go eat and plan and devise cunning devisations....

Plans 11:26AM

I have booked a venue for my party, I have written up a webinvite that is clever and witty, I have decided to go with Fee's idea of a Masquerade party (I now know how to spell it too). The girls next door are real excited. I think they want to help me pick out some kind of costume... I am scared! I am not really a big dress up person. Anyway I now just have to finalise a list of people to invite, send out the invites via email tomorrow and think about food, a costume, and possibly decorations for the venue. Whoooa... too much to do. I didn't exactly get the venue I wanted, infact the place I got was already booked and I got the second best part of it. Oh well, I am happy I got anywhere at all. The rising of the silver moon is only a week and a half away now (some of you will know what that means) which is getting a little short notice to book places.

So the day turned out pretty well all in all. I heard that Kate W is back in NZ and may even be able to make it to my 25th. Sweet. I just went for my first training jog up Hawker street before. Bewarned K-man, your adversary shall not be so weak this time round. And now I must sleep..