19 sleeps

For my friends, this 'will miss' needs no introduction. Can't say I've ever picked up here as the name may suggest but I have definitely had some HUGE sessions here and even when I have had the odd quiet afternoon, it has been very enjoyable.

For the non locals, here is a run down as per 'what to do in Perth' sites

"Who doesn't love a good shag? I'm certainly not one to complain. The Lucky Shag will cater to all your wants and needs. Alcohol? Check. Good food? Check. Fun crowd? Check. Aesthetically pleasing? Double check. A bad day can be instantly rectified by ordering a glass of wine, pulling up a chair overlooking the river and soaking up some vitamin D at The Lucky Shag. I kid you not. The Lucky Shag is definitely one of my favorite bars in Perth."

I'll share one little story of ours.  'Will miss' soon to be featured and I took an afternoon off work and decided The Shag would be our spot for some lunch and maybe a few quiet bevvies.  We'd been enjoying the view below when a very expensive boat full of older gents decided they were going to dock, right there. In front of our perfect view. To say the least we weren't happy and given we were on our 5th or so round we weren't shy in letting them know.  For our trouble we scored a round of drinks and the offer of sharing their massive seafood platters.  We naturally accepted the token gesture of a free drink and declined the seafood. One doesn't require food when there is bundy on hand... Moving forward 5 or so hours and I'm watching 'will miss' soon to be featured holding onto the edge of the table with her eyes closed saying she couldn't see and should probably go home I thought perhaps we should have eaten.  I still giggle to myself at the vision of her holding onto the table.

Will miss, lucky number 13, the Lucky Shag!  

20 sleeps

The stairs that bind. For locals, Jacobs Ladder needs no introduction. For the non locals, I'll give you a little insight courtesy of wiki, cause I can!

"Jacob's Ladder is a set of stairs located at the end of Cliff Street, which marks the boundary of Kings Park. It has 242 steps and leads down to Mounts Bay Road. The Ladder is a popular site for Perth residents to exercise, with many people using it in the mornings and on lunch breaks. The staircase was closed after being damaged by a landslide during a storm on 22 March 2010,and re-opened on 21 June 2010, after repairs..."

We don't use it at lunch time, no way would I be going back to work with a face as red as mine gets after a few trips up and down JL.  We have however managed morning sessions on a Sunday but tend to normally do it of an afternoon. 

It's always crowded and the faces become familiar as you become more of a regular.  The diversity and dedication of the people making this trek is amazing. Shoeless (this includes my youngest son), shirtless (trust me, not always a good thing), business attire, young and old. Looking down from the top of the stairs is almost a spiritual experience, although when you're heart is racing and you're trying to catch your breath it doesn't always feel that way!  

Will miss number 12, Jacobs Ladder!  

21 sleeps

When does a house become a home? Is it when you have spent an entire night ripping up the carpet you want to replace with floorboards. Is it when you design your new kitchen and oversee the upgrade. Or is it when you select the new tiles for the bathroom and decide on what colour bench top and how big you want your shower? Is it when your father invests his entire holiday in sorting out the backyard and installing those fantastic little mist spray thingies that make summer tolerable and keep the flies away?

Perhaps the question should be, when does your home become just a house again? When the love that thrived there so wonderfully begins to die? When the spare room becomes the place you spend most nights?

When you no longer talk about it as somewhere to grow old together but how much money your share of it will give you?

At the end of the day, it's just bricks and mortar. Home is where your heart is, no matter how bruised your heart is.

7 years ago we bought this house together, made it a home and now it's 'sold' and is simply a house again.

It's perfect location, great size, fantastic neighbours and general perfection no longer matters. It's dollars in the bank.

But for what it's worth, it's number 11 will miss for me.

22 sleeps

Kings Park has always been a favourite spot of mine to visit. Picnics, walks, tourist visits, afternoon tennis with the boys and a bbq dinner, dawn service on ANZAC day and Australia Day fireworks to mention a few.

It has spectacular views, but it's more than that, there is a certain serenity about it that is hard to define. I have spent many special times at Kings Park but in recent months, I have been running there of an afternoon with a soon to feature 'will miss' and now it holds an even more special place in my heart. As we run we muse over the challenges and blessings life is giving us daily and I'm certain we look equally hot and perplexing as we giggle or gasp in horror at the stories we share whilst we run our arses off down the path only to turn and walk back up! 

Will miss number 10 - Kings Park. 

  

23 sleeps

The Royal Show - what more needs to be said... Ok for most of you probably a great deal more. For me, the show is one of my most favourite times of the year.  Luckily I have two little boys who totally agree with me and are more than willing to join me not only in my general excitment but on the scary rides too!

Every year with the exception of last year when I was on the 'right' side of the country for a besties wedding I have been at the show.  One year in fact, we went twice...

There is a feel about the show here. I love the animals. The farmers. The rides. The showbags. The overpriced food. The halls filled with household wares and things you won't ever use but seem like such a great idea at the show. (I must admit to never really buying anything along those lines), but I can see why people do.

Although it's only once a year, will miss number 9, The Royal Show.

24 sleeps

It would seem if it's not my friends I will miss desperately it's the food... It took me a long time to find the culinary treasures that are rating a mention here and I clearly remember when I first moved here crying about the fact that I no longer had access to Woodstock Pizza (Canberra) so when I was introduced to Chelsea pizza here it was also a tear worthy moment!

Not only is the pizza exceptional, the times I have shared there with friends will keep it close to my heart!

Will miss number 8 - yum!

25 sleeps

It's strange to think of how emotionally traumatic the end of a marriage can be. It's like a death without a physical body.  If there was a body there would be closure. You would say goodbye, grieve and people would understand.  We have all experienced heartbreak and although I knew I was not alone it was still my journey and only I could walk it.  When I first realised that I wasn't really coping with the gaping wound in my heart I started to swim. The comfort of slipping into the water feeling it envelop me saved my life. In the water I could let forth all the crazy and heartbreaking thoughts that I fought to push away. Somehow it was easier to face them if my body was moving and the water was surrounding me like a blanket.  When I was stronger, fitter I decided to utilise the gym I had joined for swimming and took up running. I've always had a love hate relationship with running and this time round  was no different. I started running on the treadmill at my gym and set my goal to reduce the time it took to run 1km. Every day I go to the gym, I get on the treadmill and I run. Some days are so easy, others are just hard work but like Lorna would say - "don't stop when you're tired stop when you're done" and that's what I do.  I started taking photos of the workout times to mark my progress.  Some days I don't try to beat my time I just do my regular run and enjoy the feeling that I can!  The gym is literally my home away from home. There were nights I would stretch for 30 mins or sit and watch the water aerobics just so I wasn't alone.

I will miss the morning chats with Kimmy as I collect my spa band. I will miss the familiar  faces  I nod to every morning and the adorable Chinese ladies who never fail to tell me how amazing I'm looking. I will miss praying and crying in the steam room under the safety of the steam. 

In general I will miss my gym. Number 7 will miss. 

26 sleeps

To continue my running theme of the friends who have changed my life whilst living in this fair city, I give you Hannah.  I've never been one to concern myself with age when it comes to friends, younger or older, to me, friends are friends. I tend to just think we're the same age. Afterall, it's not as if I've ever really progressed from being 18...

In May I started a new job, I'd had a few months of doing bugger all but being paid well for it but my free ride, as I like to call it came to an end and I had to find a new job. This one although not quite as free a ride was pleasant and it brought with it the opportunity of new friendships.  When Hannah turned up at my desk one morning to drop off some papers for my boss I was dazzled by her smile. It went all the way to her eyes and I thought, yes, I like this girl.  We chatted easily and the next thing you know we're shooting the breeze over cheeseburgers and doing our grocery shopping together.  Fast forward 6 months and this 21 one year old, who is mature beyond her years has been a rock for me. With a simple 'I miss you' text she can transform what could have been a bad day into a day full of possibilities. Such is her ability to make you feel good about life in even the darkest of hours. Afterall, no matter how great you are at picking yourself up, sometimes you just end up in a pity party! We all need a bouncer to call last drinks at times.

Without further ado, number 6 will miss - Hannah and accompanying her in this picture is her beautiful offspring Eva (EB) xx

27 sleeps

Being a bit of a foodie, I tend to fall in love with a particular dish and never stray from it, no matter how often I eat at the restaurant...  In a suburb not too far from the city, close to one of my previous places of employment there is an amazing cafe called The Prophet. It is run by Jihad, an adorable man who makes his regulars feel very special by always having a table for them, going out of his way to spoil their children with free dessert and by simply stopping to ask how their meal  was and say hello. His son Christian is the chef and I will tell you now, you will NEVER find a better satay chicken!  Around 6 years ago I was introduced to it by another "will miss" yet to be featured and The Prophet has become my favourite place to eat  on this side of the country. It's the one place I take all visitors  and insist on shoving my satay chicken down their throat if they fail to order it themselves.

Number five will miss - satay chicken at The Prophet

28 sleeps

I've never been much of a treasure hunter but God has always managed to find for me his most rare and precious gifts and give them to me in the way of friends. (I want to remind you all that only my friends on this side of the country will be mentioned here given they will be my misses so friends on the East you are equally as treasured!) When I started at DTF I was not in a particularly good place in my life. This city had handed me a few disappointments in the career sense and my marriage was literally beginning to crumble.

Enter my Irish treasure! When I meet someone who literally takes my breath away with their physical appearance I actually assume someone so attractive could never be good on the inside as well, twice in my life this assumption has failed me. Not only is Joanna beautiful, she is kind, generous, funny, loving and no matter what - she's there for you! We have a long history of drinking and dancing up a storm, unfortunately we never seem to last longer than 1 drink at the Hippy Club before we are asked to ermmmm go and have some pizza and find somewhere else to dance...   

In recent months, with the chaos and turmoil in my life Joanna has been my Sunday saviour. We go to mass and then we go to "mass". Which entails a few quiet bevvies (cough cough) and a dance.  Our bar of choice is somewhat more tolerant than the Hippy so we usually make it to stumps which we all know in this city is about 10pm (and people wonder why I'm leaving!!!)

Without further ado - my number 4 will miss - my Irish treasure Joanna xx

29 sleeps

They say it's the simple things... Well, when you walk your dog and kids along the west coast highway path there is a real feeling of togetherness. I find this perplexing because in general, I don't find the people of this city welcoming or tolerant of the flocks of outsiders who have come here to make their "fortune". Not unlike the gold rush really... I  digress,  the views along this path are beautiful and can heal even the most wounded of souls, if only you let them.

I give you my number three will miss.

30 sleeps

There are those friendships in your life that are not dissimilar to the energiser bunny - they just keep on going, in spite of what life throws at them.

My friendship with Doc is one of them. We met when I was 17 and there hasn't been a day that's passed since where he hasn't been a part of my life even when I am throwing tantrums about varying things.

Yesterday we went to the local near his home and shared a bottle of red and I listened to him plead with me not to leave - to please reconsider my decision.

I fought back the tears that threatened to spill over and stood, rather sat firmly with him telling him that leaving was no longer a choice. My sanity depended on it.

As he always does he sighed and said "I understand"

number 2 will miss - Doccy

31 sleeps

There are always times of change, for everyone. We either embrace and accept the inevitable or we fight kicking and screaming and end up exactly where we are meant to be anyway.

After 7 years in a city I have never connected with. With the breakdown of my marriage and the loss of closest of close friendships behind me - I am finding it difficult to not be jumping for joy that in 31 sleeps I will be leaving and unless it's to see one of my "crew" here get married I will more than likely never return.

But in the midst of my jumping for joy I have forced myself to take note of the people, the places, the routine that I know I will sorely miss.

And so it begins. The chronicle of my last 31 sleeps here and the 31 things I will miss the most!

In no particular order - I give you number one.

Beatty Park swimming pool - my saviour in recent months!