Here’s my latest minor irk.

Firstly, I should clear up that I’m not an overly generous person. I will donate my time, happily, to different causes, but I don’t give away much money. I don’t actually have much money to give away (but today I did pay $1 for a tiny piece of cake to support the creative arts graduates or something). I usually try to avoid answering the door when I know that the knocker is a small child asking for donations for their girl guides group or whatever. The other day, one such knocker arrived, so I did my best to not answer it. When my mother answered it, she was greeted by a few little kids who wanted to sell sesame seed health food bars (you know the kind sold in primary school canteens), in exchange for a dollar sum that far outweighed the free market value of these sesame seed health food bars. Why? Well, the kids wanted to go to America to dance.

Well, here’s a news flash: So does the rest of the world. Why is it that kids from dance studios think it’s their human right to travel overseas to dance to entertain the queue for the bathroom in Disneyland? When the kids were told we didn’t want any of their seasame seed health food bars, they groaned and then said something rude as they walked away.

I’m not usually so harsh, but I think the society is getting a little bit ahead of its self as far as donations are going. Are these kids going to be smashing open their piggy banks when I want to go tap dancing at Carnegie Hall? Of course, my site has an Amazon wishlist attached to it, and have accepted donations in the past, but in no way do I think I deserve or require donations; I’ll keep writing regardless.

Am I being a cranky old man about this? I think it’s really the cause that bugs me - I will happily throw a few dollars into a fund for something that I think is worthwhile, and even spent 3 hours on the weekend volunteering my time for a dance studio fundraiser. But isn’t overseas travel getting out of hand? Maybe if they were the best dancers in Australia and they needed funds to travel and compete/showcase their talents, but for a 14 little girls and one awkward boy to do a routine taken from Hi-Five’s latest DVD to the Lady Marmalade? Next…

Somehow, and I think it’s best if I don’t explain, I spent 2 or 3 hours judging a dance talent quest. Yes, I know - it’s one of those moments when the world just inverts on itself and we all become ruled by a less developed race of apes. Anyway, I happily donated my lack of talent and ability to the cause, although I was slightly disappointed that our host, Min, didn’t cross to us after each act for a harsh, caring and banal comment, respectively. I did get a bottle of wine out of it, which I intend to drink myself into a stupor tonight until I try to sing all “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”, and do all the round parts myself (joke).

So i’ve gotten over my flu, and didn’t go to uni wednesday or friday. I did go for my long 8 hour day on thursday because I had two assessments. I received three marks for my economics and they were 70%, 70% and 72%, so that’s keeping me content. I also got 89% for another music essay, so that’s keeping me more than content. Now it’s only two more teaching weeks of uni left for this semester! I’m so excited!

Other than that i’m pottering around doing things for uni, having reheasals, labelling CDs… all that exciting late teen stuff.

I’m determined not to let this cold affect my schedule. I’m feeling suprisingly good considering I should be at the peak of my cold by now, and i’ve barely taken any pills. I went to uni and rehearsal today, there is nothing I can’t do. I haven’t had the halucenations yet, maybe tonight. I usually imagine I am a character out of whatever book I am reading at the time. I’m currently reading a Bette Davis biography. I hope I don’t become Joan Crawford.

I’m now oogling at a 21inch monitor (CRT), which is a byproduct of industrial upgrades. It’s quite massive, and like the Imax cinema, I have to actually move my head to see everything on the screen, not just my eyes.

I wish I had something exciting to write about, but alas no. Don’t worry, I’ll find something to be passionately frustrated about soon.

I napped for an hour earlier today which is usually a pretty good indicator of my health. I never nap when I am well, but this cold has made me pretty tired.

On the positive side, I seem to be moving through the cold fairly quickly (from the throat to the nose in around 24 hours. I think flushing my body out with water is helping.

I’ll be staying in tonight so I can wake up early for uni tommorow. No rest for the wicked!

It seems I have managed to come down with something flu/cold-like. I’m in the early stages (throatal) and it’s slowly making its way into my nose today. I’m going to take my own advice to Becky when she fell ill with a similar thing recently: Frequent Urination!

Not much else to report. At least, nothing I can remember at the moment.