So, here’s the thing. I’m exhausted. But we’re all exhausted sometimes. So we keep going, because it’s the only option, and eventually breathing becomes easier again.
After the craziness of last week, I hoped this week would be calmer. Instead, there have been extensive meetings and a twelve hour workday that involved getting to work early, flying to Melbourne at midday, running a consultation until 8pm, then getting four hours sleep before flying back to Canberra the next morning and going straight to the office where the phone was already ringing for me the instant I stepped through the door.
That night, I went to gospel, and when I sang I felt like I was inside my voice but my voice was not connected to my body and I was spinning, floating. When I drove home, I kept getting distracted by the unicorns that were pulling my car-chariot down Northbourne Avenue. They had glittering tails, and they were real. I swear, for a few moments, they were there and they were real.
I take dessert seriously.
Also, I’d like to say that when a person has had four hours of sleep and everyone is saying that they saw the Transit of Venus and You Have To See The Transit Of Venus It’s Now Or Never You Won’t Be Here The Next Time Venus Transits You Have To See The Transit Of Venus, that person can’t be blamed for going outside and looking directly at the sun. I just wanted to see the Transit of Venus. I didn’t expect it to hurt so much.
When I think of everything that must be done in the next few weeks, my chest feels tight.
Very seriously.
But even when I’m sitting in my car crying for absolutely no reason except that I can’t seem to stop, life is beautiful. Because Alinta crafted me a beautiful birthday card and Fiona sends me texts about sunshine and Lisa creates sparkles in my soul with her emails and, in Melbourne, my brother came to visit me in my swanky hotel room and we lay on the floor side-by-side talkingtalkingtalking and these were the highlights of my week.
Another highlight was the video about the baby pig and the oatmeal, because it’s too much. It’s too much. I can’t even cope right now. It’s too much.
Very, very seriously. (I had no idea, but Mum took six photos of me with this dessert. In each one, my head gets closer to the plate. She laughed a lot.)
I think I need to go watch the baby pig video again, and then curl up in bed to read.
After feeding my unicorns, of course. They eat only Sturt’s Desert Roses picked under the light of a new moon whilst Simon and Garfunkel’s The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin’ Groovy) plays from an old-school boombox.
Hannah out.
I want a miniature pig! I’m sure the dogs won’t mind and the cat will get used to it. Bye the way, the end of that video was not safe for work, I nearly squealed out loud when he jumped! I still have tears from the laughter … so glad I clicked over to take a look.
P.S. I’d try the unicorns on those carrots of yours so that you can get back to some chocolate.
Imagining a baby pig amidst your cuddling-sleeping pets just makes all my insides turn to giddymush. I’m so glad you clicked over to it too
Haha! I love that you get closer and closer to your dessert in every snapshot.
aww sweetie – hope things start to ease up soon. And that you get to enjoy this wonderful long weekend!
Ahh piglet video!! Love the play-by-play of you and your dessert, too. I hope you catch a peaceful break soon.
Thanks Leaf! I’m so happy to be helping more people see the light that is Hamlet the Pig.
Man that piggie just DOVE straight into that oatmeal ha! I love the noises. Piggies are what made me stop eating (pig) meat at 9…. I LOVE them so much. I want a tiny one
The squeaks each time he goes down a step SLAY ME. Can’t even cope.
OMG, Hamlet the pig is sooooooooooooo cute and the ending made me laugh out aloud!
Hope you get some rest and Hannah time over the long weekend.
*going to watch pig and oatmeal video again….*
I absolutely and utterly shrieked out loud when he jumps feet-first into the oatmeal and just keeps eating anyway!
Thank you Em. Not much Hannah time this weekend, but nonstop friends-and-family-time, so that’s even better
oh ma gaawd, love the photo sequence. Hilarious. Plus how cool is your mum taking all them pics! She must have bene a food blogger in a prev life LOL
LOve how you’re in a choir. I was in a choir during High School and have always wanted to go back into it. But as you mentioned, I have way too many things goin on, I’m exhausted. hehe I just do the rare wedding singing gig. I mean rare!
Whoa! I can picture it now – I bet you kick ass! Do you scrunch your eyes up tight during the slow emotional songs?
I’ve trained my mum well
Singing brings such joy to my heart! I hadn’t been in a choir between year 10 and last year, and oh, it’s so good to be back! I’m so impressed that you sing for weddings. One day, we shall karaoke, you and I, Sugar Twin.
Oh, I do identify with the tiredness. I was so exhausted at midnight mass a couple of years ago that I felt as though someone else was singing with my voice – I was pretty worried that she would get the notes wrong, since I was way over there and not involved in the singing at all. Slightly scary. And when the organist was doing his improvisational thing, I could intermittently hear angelic choirs singing along. (I’m fairly sure they weren’t actual angelic choirs, even if it was Christmas Eve, but I can’t help listening for them in the organ now when I sing there).
I’m so glad someone understands what I meant in that paragraph. It was a really, really strange feeling.
Maybe your angelic choirs and my chariot unicorns live in the same mystical parallel universe together?
Yes, I must say that half of me is kind of relieved that I’m not the only person to have had an out-of-body singing experience, and half deeply concerned that you are so tired that you have.
The world needs more mystical parallel universes. And isn’t it interesting what our brains run to when we are tired? Unicorns are far beyond me, but cats seen out of the corner of my eyes are a fairly regular feature…
In truth, I was more than a little concerned myself. I don’t think anyone should be allowed behind the wheel after an out-of-body singing experience!
I will never admit to half of the what my brain conjures up when I’m exhausted!
Oh, mairzy doats and dozy doats and little pigsy doatmeal
A kiddley doatmeal, too. Wouldn’t you?
I was almost going to go here! You’ve got me beat, Mike, once again.
Great minds think alike Emma. (Tho’ mine’s starting to get a bit rusty).
Once more, I’m just going to leave you two kindred spirits alone with your wordplay
Now, I could have sworn that little pigsy tivey. Regional variation?
(though I think your version is healthier for all concerned, really)
They do Catherine, they do, but the modern pigsies are following a more healthy diet. But imagine what they would do if they had the run of Hannah’s house. It would then be little pigsyd choccies.
Or possibly drawt ruffles.
That’s a relief. I thought I was hallucinating strange poetry, to go with Hannah’s unicorns!
And they’d be the happiest little pigsyds in the world, they would.
Dear Hannah,
Dessert is indeed very important and it looked like you might have been performing brain surgery. Hope you have a better week ahead.
Things will be better once June is over! Just have to hold out a bit longer… Thank you!
Curl up in bed, with many books, much chocolate, cups of tea, your splendiferous recent golden syrup nuts, and peanut butter. Don’t come out for at least 3 hours. Sleep. Then do it again
(Or failing that, just curl up in bed and get some rest. Have dream unicorns instead of driving unicorns – I sense they might be safer xox)
That sounds magical. I have a super busy long weekend, though, so not much time for resting. But it’s good-busy, for once! I can sleep in July
I think you’re right. After all, I can’t trust driving unicorns to understand speed limits…
Oh gorgeous girl x
Thanks love. Holding on.
I’m tired too, but I have no reason to be. Although I did this spectacular hop-hop-fall thing while we were biking the other night and as a result now have an awkward giant target-shaped bruise on my bum. Is that reason enough to make me exhausted?
Oh well, time for another grueling day of lounging about with the cat on my lap!
I still don’t know what the transit of Venus is. The nerds probably want to take away my cat eye glasses and frumpy decorative sweaters for saying that.
Bum bruises are a little-known yet devastatingly-strong cause of tiredness. Rest up, little petal. That said, your life currently makes me cry with longing.
Who needs astrology nerds anyhoo? Frumpy decorative sweaters are the bomb.
My favorite of all the sweaters says “HE SHOOTS. HE SCORES. HOCKEY.”
Petal is resting up:) I actually have a job interview next week – fingers crossed majorly!
Oooh! Hurrah! Good luck m’dear!
I needs to show you my favourite bad-English shirts from Japan one day. They’re PURE GOLD.
P.S. For example, “Head goes wrong with noise” on the one with headphones printed on it.
This tiredness and ‘taking too much on’ malarkey seems to be spreading.
Freelance writing has a lot going for it.
Poverty, for one thing, but a lot of time to goof off, pat the dog and enjoy looking at the Shiba Ini puppy live webcam – http://www.ustream.tv/sfshiba
Oh Kath, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that right now. Thank you. There are great things about my job, but I’m so sick of being stress-sick all the time.
Can’t wait to check out the link when I’m somewhere with faster internet
Driving home from NC, I had been in the clock since stupid o’clock with no sleep and about 2 hours from home I started to hallucinate – no joke! I saw a horse driving a backhoe and a person dancing outside of their car, holding onto the door!
We really should not be allowed to drive in such states. Bad us. But hey, we survived, so wheeee!
Bebeh squealing piglets are the ultimate cure for stress. I love how he lets out a little squeak each time he braves another step, as if to exclaim “I did it!,” and then “I did it again!,” and then “I just keep doing it, I’m a madman!”
I know! I know! I swear, I started squeaking along with him each step, like a proud mama. It was ridiculous, particularly because I was at work at the time.
Hey Hannah! Hope you have a blessed and restful weekend~you can doooo it!
And those pictures are cute. You look like you’re whispering at your dessert. hah!
Teehee, I wouldn’t be surprised if I had been talking to my dessert. Thank you Ellie
I’m sure to have a lovely weekend; it’s the Queen’s Birthday long weekend so I have friends and family staying 
I don’t envy your that grueling work schedule but I am glad you are having fun all the while. I don’t see unicorns but I was certain for a moment that I saw a tiger on the bike path that other week – off to watch THE PIGLeet with sylvia – hope it is kid friendly
piggy was very amusing – sylvia’s geogie pig enjoyed watching it (great with a bit of sound of music in the background)
Thank you Johanna. Part of the reason I went to gospel despite being bone-tired was my determination that my life never become just work. Oooh, maybe the tiger you saw was the tiger from the painting who steps out and becomes real? If only I could remember the name of that childrens book…
Pig too cute. Dessert pics so funny! Enjoy unicorn. (For real.)
Over and out.
You get me, Ricki. You get me.
Which, thankfully, is not the same as “You like me. You really, really like me!”. (Okay, maybe a little mean to Sally Field, whom I actually DO really, really like. . . .)
Hope you’re back to feeling better already! Hugs! xo
Thanks Ricki
And gosh, your comment is great, because I’ve been saying that quote for years but honestly had no idea where it came from! I’d been attributing it in my mind to The Simpsons somehow 
I wouldn’t be surprised if they used it in the Simpsons as well (as a way to mock poor old Sally Field. .. )!
What a massive week. You must be so relieved it’s a long weekend. I had a few nights of four hours sleep this week too and it makes me very scatty and forgetful. Here’s hoping the pace will be a little slower for both of us this week. xx
I am indeed, particularly as this weekend involves much fun with friends and family
Thankfully you’ve (to great success!) made it through the formal, so hopefully you’ll have much resting ahead of you!
Take it slow my friend, I promise you that dessert is not going to run away
Breathe, relax and tell your dessert you love it with a smile – you deserve a long weekend!
Cheers
CCU
But parts of it were at risk of melting
Thanks dear!
Matt and I oohed and ahhed over that pig video yesterday, too.
So very many things to do…oh, how I can relate. Dear $@^$#*, I can relate. <3
PS – So the thing about going blind if you look at it is a myth? But how did it hurt?
Teehee, the funny thing is I wrote this post a few days ago, back before the pig video went crazy-viral, but by the time it posted it had gone around so much of the interwebs so I feared everyone here would’ve seen it already!
I just have to get through June, workwise. And then July, lifewise. And then….
Art galleries and laughing and poetry and hugs, my dear. xo
P.S. Well, I looked at it for the barest of split seconds, because even looking in its general direction caused my eyes to start aching. I did have spots in front of my eyes for quite some time! My dad was very unimpressed with me not knowing better
Loved the dessert concentration! Seems as though you were really savouring. Hope the pace slows down this week? xcat
I don’t think I’ve ever concentrated an any dessert more
Alas, the next few weeks at work are going to be quite intense, but I’ll get through 
You told your Dad you tried to look at the Transit of Venus? Now you’ve go him worried!
Oh, and I did love my dessert eating shots – that is my shots of you and your Dad eating desserts.
He wrote an email about how I should know better than to look… unfortunately that was after I’d already gone and tried to look after getting his first email. Oops.
You’re sneaky! I’m proud of you for that.
Sending you sleepy thoughts possibly in exchange for a unicorn or two? Sometimes life is very overwhelming. I totally agree that it’s the people who make it worthwhile. Hope things become a little less hectic! xx
Thanks Fiona. I would gladly trade you a unicorn, though you should know they can by wily and temperamental beasts! But I’m sure you’d know how to tame them.
Feelings are simultaneously the best and the worst, and I never know when they’ll undermine. Glad to hear you have both lovely people and tiny pigs to comfort you! (Seriously, that pig! My heart audibly shattered at the cuteness.)
But even more often than they undermine, feelings can lift us up and make us soar into a world of dizzy imaginings
oh! love! I showed my brother that oatmeal pug video… we bonded & are now even closer. if that is even possible. hehe. I’m virusy today. no car crying but I’m NQR. Your blog posts make my face smile.
Heidi xo
Heidi! Oh Heidi! Do you know why I love the beginning of your comment beyond words? Because it’s my brother who showed this video to me. Oh Heidi, I love how we both have such wonderful relationships with our brothers (and, yes, that plural is deliberate xoxo)
Thank you so much for your beautiful comment. Except the part about being virusy. I hope your illness leaves you… NOW. Now.
Judging by the comments – this piggie is Some Pig. Will watch at home where it’s safe to squeal with laughter.
On a serious note, as much as I adore unicorns, slightly worried that you are seeing them (possibly because of Venus??) and it make me think you need a holiday. Rest. A Break. Somewhere where you can sleep in, wake up to a hot cup of tea, breath in the fresh air and relax.
Hoping it got better…will keep catching up xx
If this pig and Wilbur had a competition, I honestly don’t know which would be the Somest Pig of all. And then we’ve got to factor in Babe as well… too many adorable pigglywigglies!
Thank you darling. In terms of what was going on behind the scenes in this post, it’s actually got to quite an unbearable point right now, but s’all good. I’m having a competition with myself to see if I can be the first mid-twenties lass to get shingles twice in one year.