That’s What Your Mum Said

My lovely friend Jane, my little sister Katie and moi.

My delightful friend Mitch turns 30 this week and he celebrated on the weekend with a ‘Rockers v Mods’ themed party. It was hella fun and was just the release I needed after 4 weeks of hardcore study with barely a break (excepting he Atheist gathering of course)! Here are some pics for your viewing delight. There are a lot of me. I turned into a bit of a camera whore, but hell, I had a great time, and I finally had eyelashes (in reality, I have stumpy lashes that are shorter than my boyfriends. This kills me). I love fake lashes.

The partner and I

Sisters

My friend Peta, sister Katie and I

My friend told us to look like we love each other. This is what love looks like.

Friends foreeevvvvver

Very cheap cocktails = very big hangover

The birthday boy and I looking mighty stunned

Dancing like mods

Sister annoying partner. Usual state of affairs.

Before I started the degree that shall hereby be known as “Bachelor of buttloads of reading” I made a few things for presents. I have also bought a few things recently. Here they are.

I knitted this hot water bottle cover for my dear friend Peta’s birthday gift. She comes from the same small village as I did and we have both moved into big cities (albeit quite a distance from each other). We have had to grow up and be responsible, however people from our little village have slightly different values to those of the people we went to high school with and then subsequently met in the big wide world. We like track pants and climbing trees and making cakes out of the ingredients we have in the pantry (hello marshmallow, milo cake). She is a public servant in a job that requires her to be dressed up and coiffed during the day, but I know she loves being a sloth at night. This will help her through the long winter ahead (she lives in one of the few parts of Australia that actually get painfully cold).

If any of you are interested in this pattern is is a super-quick project and very rewarding. I have given them to many people as gifts now!

These were delicious. The partner loved them, and my parents actually stole the rest of them from my house when they visited. Yes, STOLE. Sneaky bastards. Joy the Baker is the genius behind these Honey Roasted Peanut Thumbprint cookies and I applaud her.

Another dear friend Mitch turns 30 this week and he had a killer party on the weekend themed ‘Rockers v Mods’. I will have another post with the delightful pictures but this is the notebook case we bought him. It is from byrd & belle and I would highly recommend their craftsmanship. He loved it by the way.

I had the best weekend. At a conference. With speakers. And seating plans. And conference food.

How does this happen you may ask?

I purchased tickets (expensive, gold-version tickets that allowed us to sit right at the front in the elite section) to the Global Atheist Conference in Melbourne.

This was a one stop shop for all of my intellectual crushes, and I added quite a few to the list by the end of the weekend. Peter Singer, P Z Myers and  Richard Dawkins were joined by A C Grayling (a new favourite), Catherine Deveny, Jane Caro, Phillip Adams, Taslima Nasrin (heartbreakingly inspiring), Sue-Anne Post (heartbreakingly hilarious), Dan Barker, Ian Robinson and the awesome comedians Jamie Kilstein, NonStampCollector, Julian Morrow and Craig Reucassel. Too. Much. Good.

Richard Dawkins looking bamboozled - around 300 people lined up with books to sign!

The most wonderful thing about this gathering was that I finally felt at home. I was finally around people who understand the way I think and what I believe in (truth, for all of those that are curious) and didn’t screw their noses up when I proclaimed that I don’t believe in the supernatural nor religion in all its guises.

All of the speakers had excellent points and most spoke clearly, concisely and confidently about their beliefs (or lack thereof) and their experiences of religion. Some of the greatest insights came from the speakers who had experienced religion first hand. Sue-Ann Post grew up in a Mormon household (and is now a lesbian comedian), Dan Barker was an evangelical preacher (fascinating) and Taslima Nasran has been banned from her home nation for speaking out against the oppression of women under the Islamic religion.

Poor photo of Peter Singer

Of course my favourite was Peter Singer. He talked about the ability of human beings to be ethical without religion and he was a joy. I raced up after his speech to get my book signed and was far too excited. I told him I liked his glasses. He looked at me like I am special.  I am mortified I said this to one of the centuries greatest minds, but I plan on stalking him out again and asking something more intelligent like “Dr Singer, who should win the latest season of ‘So you think you can dance”?

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the conference and a lot of commentators poo-pooing the idea of atheists gathering together (apparently it is like herding cats). We have every right to come together and enjoy each others company. We have every right to cheer and shout and drink far too much and relish being alive. Heck, we paid for it (no government funding for us; a recent church gathering in Melbourne received between $4 and $5 million).

'The Ethics of What We Eat' by Peter Singer and Jim Mason

I’m not going to rant. I do truly believe, though, that religion has a lot of badness to answer for. I also believe that I should not be funding their tax breaks and perks with my hard-earned income. Honestly, I would rather fund our ridiculously ailing health system, or free, secular education for all, or even just better public transport.

I would recommend an atheist gathering to all, regardless of your beliefs or stance on freedom of religion. The people are welcoming and the food is great and the ideas are freely flowing and open. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my precious time.

Randomly:

I have been a lazy blogger, but not lazy in any other area of my life. Second week of a Graduate Law degree = me no brain cells left, me no look after myself.

Tomorrow I fly out to the Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne. I am insanely excited and believe I deserve it after the approximately 50-60 hours I have spent studying/organising/thinking law this week. We spent a fortune on the tickets and I am going to get the MOST out of it – drinking all the alcohol, eating all the food and accosting all of the speakers for photograph opportunities and embarrassing bouts of giggling. We are staying with my lovely friend and her girlfriend and will be celebrating her birthday on Sunday evening. It will no doubt involve caipirinha’s and Argentinian cuisine.

I had a medically diagnosed panic attack on Sunday/Monday. I have never experienced one and always doubted their severity even though two of my sisters have experienced them (yes, I am a bad person). To be honest, it was horrific. It came out of nowhere and nothing I did would make it cease. I tried exercise, deep breathing, cold water, laying down etc to no avail. The feeling of dread, the racing heart, the numbness in my limbs, the sweating/overheating and the inability to harness it is truly terrifying and I would not wish it on my worst enemy. There is just no escape and there is no way to feel good about anything; thinking about university and the Melbourne trip and my future just made me flip the heck out. I managed to sleep Sunday evening but woke Monday sweating and my heart was still beating far too fast. I went to the earliest doctors appointment available and after explaining my symptoms to him he too my pulse. He took it again. Then he suggested an ECG. I flipped the heck out even more. After all of the testing he came to the conclusion that it was a panic attack and prescribed some anti-anxiety medication. I also had some blood tests to check my thyroid and make sure it isn’t hyperactive. After walking 7km home to work off some of the adrenalin (a panic attack is a rush of adrenalin into the body which is left over from the fight-or-flight response), taking a pill and relaxing for the afternoon the last nerves wore off in the late evening. At least now I know how to deal with it if it happens again. What brought it on? I had two coffees in the morning which is very unusual for me and apparently can be a trigger. I am guessing there is probably also some tension relating to other health issues I am having examined currently as well as the beginning of an entirely new life as a hardcore student.

BLAH! What a rant. Apologies abound, but thank you all for allowing me my rant space. When I get back I am going to make a serious attempt to organise my time slightly more efficiently so that I can keep the blagging world high on the important list. Have a great weekend everyone; I certainly will!

Seriously, these ones kill me. Emalie over at Ticky Tacky has two little pup friends called Pepsi and Bluebell. She also makes clothing for these pups miniature frames, and sells it in her Etsy store oh so micro. Too. Much. Cute. I emailed the link to the partner at work and he said this is by far his favourite.

I think this is Pepsi and I want one.

Ebony at ebony & ivory has some delightful putty-tats named Tibby and Mischa. They look cheeky and lovely and like they would be the perfect companions for the winter. I have the knitted socks/scarves/blankets/beanies and the endless cups of tea; I am missing two cats. Ebony, you can help me out here, can’t you?

Check out the blogs of both of these lovely ladies; they themselves are quite to bundles of cute!