Caring Friend

Wallpaper / By

I love my friend so much. I am going through the worst period of my life right now and my friend has been there for me the entire way. From the moment my dad went to the hospital to the moment I told her the date of his funeral, she has been there checking up on me and doing her best to make sure that I’m okay. It means the world to me, truly. 

You should have seen the beautiful unicorn wall art she had installed in my room. I was out at the time organising and packing up my dad’s apartment and when I came home and my bedroom was covered in beautiful unicorns. She wanted to make me feel happy and give me a distraction even just for a second and it worked. For a moment I completely forgot what it was like to be in immense pain because my dad died. It was only an extremely brief moment but that reprieve was incredible even if just for a second.

I want to do something to repay my friend. I don’t have much energy at the moment to do anything, but when I do I want to show her how grateful I am for everything she has done for me. I’m going to need her support for a very long time and I want her to know that I appreciate everything she has done for me. Maybe I’ll talk to the same person who did my unicorn wallpaper. In the Melbourne area, there are plenty of wallpaper designers around, but this person did such a good job that I wouldn’t want to go anywhere else. 

Even though I’m in the very early stages of mourning and I can’t really comprehend what is happening or how the rest of my life will be now, I do still appreciate the people around me. Without my friend, I wouldn’t even be able to write this message today.

Building A Table

Hardware / By

Today is probably going to be the longest day of my life. It’s just a waiting game. I feel sick waiting for my friend to let me know the news. Her life turned upside down within the space of forty-five minutes. I spoke to her at 3:45 pm yesterday and everything was normal, and by 4:30 pm she was at the hospital begging the hospital staff to let her in to see her dad. He suffered a major medical episode and is currently fighting for his life. I feel absolutely helpless and I know that nothing I can say or do is going to make this any better. The only thing that is going to make it better is for her dad to be okay. 

Whilst I wait, I think I’m going to try and keep myself busy. Often when I’m feeling anxious I try to keep my hands busy by building something. I think I have some leftover timber supplies from the Cheltenham hardware store that I can use. I might build a little coffee table or something. If it’s good enough, I’ll give it to my friend as a ‘thinking of you’ gift. If it isn’t good enough, I’ll dismantle it and use it to make something else the next time I’m feeling anxious. It’s so messed up because if I’m feeling this way, I can’t even imagine how my friend is feeling. It must be horrific. The whole situation makes me feel sick. 

I’m spiralling a bit. I need to refocus my thoughts. I’ll go get all my materials out and build something. Actually, now that I look at what I’ve got, I probably don’t have enough timber to make a good coffee table. I think I’ll make a trip to the hardware store. Cheltenham has plenty of hardware stores around but the one I’ll go to is my favourite. It just always has everything that I need. I’ll update you after my trip.

Glass For Two

Glass / By

‘How long are your parents out of town?’ James called up the stairs, anxiously looking around like they were going to come back at any moment.

‘Would you relax?’ Pete rolled his eyes, leisurely strolling down the stairs. ‘A week, at least.’

‘What do you mean “at least”?’ James asked, eyes wide. ‘You don’t know exactly?’

‘It was more of a “take me to Paris or I’ll divorce you” kinda trip than a neatly planned holiday,’ Pete shrugged. ‘But it’s not the first one, so there’s precedent for at least a week.’

He pulled a bottle of whiskey out from underneath his arm and James momentarily forgot how terrified he was of Pete’s father.

‘Woah, that’s…’

‘Yeah,’ Pete nodded, basking in his success. ‘Very expensive.’

‘Won’t he realise?’

Pete rolled his eyes again. He took a step back, onto the landing of the staircase. ‘You see those,’ he sighed.

‘The glass?’

‘Yeah, the glass. Last time my dad went on a business trip to Japan, mum had some place near Melbourne that specialises in glass balustrades come in and replace them. He never even noticed.’

‘Well, I mean, glass can be difficult to—’

‘They used to be wood, James.’

‘Okay, point taken.’

‘Relax!’ Pete laughed, clapping his friend on the back. ‘We’re supposed to be having a party!’

James grinned, despite himself, starting to loosen up. Pete shook the bottle celebratorily and marched towards the kitchen.

‘It’s amazing work by the way,’ James called out to him, not moving.

‘What’s that now?’ Pete asked, twisting back around.

‘The balustrade — you don’t see quality residential glazing work like that every day.’

‘James, what are you talking about?’

‘The glass! It’s so clear too…’

He stretched out a finger to touch it and Pete’s blood ran cold. The world slowed around him as he dropped the whiskey bottle, shattering on the ground as he flung himself down the hallway and tackled James into the tile.

‘What the hell?!’

‘If you get a smudge on that glass,’ Pete whispered, terrified, ‘my mum will hate me.’

Recorded for Posterity

Video Production / By

‘Tell me you caught that,’ Dan groaned from the bottom of the stairs. He could faintly hear his skateboard rolling away from him, but he needed the air to start cooperating with his lungs again before he could chase it down.

‘We got it man!’ Alex chuckled, skipping down the steps to show him the camcorder. ‘We got it all!’

Dan propped himself up on his shoulders to look up into the lens. ‘You’re still filming?!’ he groaned, shoving the camera out of his face.

‘Mate, after that fall I don’t think I’m ever gonna stop filming you again!’

Dan tried to fake-laugh, but his ribs protested — apparently unaware that the lungs had already refused.

‘I wonder what we could use this for?’ Alex mused out loud, playing back the footage.

‘Aren’t we just chucking it up online like we always do?’

‘Think bigger, Dan! This could go viral! And then what? We just go on with our lives? What if..’ Alex got a glint in his eye. ‘What if this is the start of something? What if we send it to a marketing video production company to really make the video shine?’

Dan was starting to get convinced. ‘Going viral would be awesome! Maybe one day that could turn us into an animation!’ ‘Exactly! I’m so surprised you’re on board!’

Dan looked hurt. ‘I thought we were friends Alex. I thought you knew it was my dream to go viral with the help of the best corporate video production company in Melbourne.’

Alex teared up. ‘I’m sorry man. I had no idea.’

‘It’s okay,’ Dan said, welling up too. ‘I should be more open with my feelings.’

The two boys embraced.

The projector flicked off, and the lights were turned back on. Daniel and Alexander, in slick suits from their newfound fame, strode to the front of the table.

‘And that,’ Daniel said, gesturing with his thumb, ‘is why you can trust us with your business.’

The boardroom burst into spontaneous applause, as the two men hugged.

He’s Moving In

Bathroom / By

This month, my uncle is going to be moving in with my family. He’s been in hospital for a little while after his accident and we haven’t been able to see him due to that crazy worldwide event that’s been happening recently. When the hospital called us to explain he was going to be discharged soon, my wife had the phone on loudspeaker. The whole family had been listening in and we all started whooping and cheering. Everybody loves my uncle, so when he needed a place to stay after being discharged, the thought of not letting him live with us didn’t even cross my mind.

Right now, I’m researching a number of bathroom design ideas Melbourne companies have put online for inspiration. They’ve got some brilliant photos and it’s made my wife really excited, but I’m not sure if we’ll be able to complete our bathroom renovation like the pictures – unless we hire a proper company for it. And I imagine that will cost a lot. See, the reason we’re renovating our bathroom right now is because my uncle is disabled. I naively didn’t realise we would need to update our home to make it accessible for him, but it seems quite obvious and important now. In particular, we have to create a disabled bathroom layout to make it easier for him to shower and go to the toilet.

Luckily, our house is only one storey so we won’t have to completely remodel our home. Based on my research, we’ll have to do things like put new railings on the walls and install different kinds of cabinets and benches that are easier for him to navigate. We also have to ensure the bathroom itself is actually big enough for his wheelchair. I don’t mind doing these things at all, and my wife and children are more than happy to suffer a little temporary inconvenience during renovations for the sake of my uncle. I just can’t wait for him to move in with us!

Warmest New Job

Heating and Cooling / By

I absolutely LOVE MY NEW JOB. I made such a good decision changing companies. I can’t even begin to explain how happy I am. I’m not only in a much more senior position, I’m surrounded by people who support me and I am making a difference in the world. Every day I come to work and I am sure that I’m doing good things. It’s made my workplace morale so much better and every day I can’t wait to get started. 

I’m sure you all remember my anger and frustration at my boss for refusing to hire a technician specialising in ducted heater servicing. Canberra businesses should all get regular heating services if they want their employees to be happy. If they’re not doing that then they can’t really expect their employees to stay. We sell our time to businesses. I can (clearly) sell my time to anyone and obviously, I’m going to choose the business that makes my life the best – it would be silly not to.

But anyway, this isn’t about my old work anymore. This is about work that is fulfilling and how much I enjoy working where I work. It’s also about working for bosses that respect your needs and recognise that paying for regular heating services in Canberra is absolutely pivotal to employee satisfaction.  

I’m excited for my new life to really begin. It’s going to be fantastic. I’m making my way in the world and I can feel it. What started as a young woman fresh out of university just trying to land an internship has led to a senior position in just over two years. I’m so proud of myself.

Even though my old colleagues weren’t proud of me, I’m not going to let that get me down. I’m going to use that as motivation to get better every single day. I’ll show them just how good I am.

 

Lovely Traditional Tattoo

Tattoos / By

I just wanted to follow up on the blog that I wrote about skincare and tattoos. A lot of you wrote in and said that similar things happened to you. I found that so interesting! I thought it was just something that happened to me, but apparently, if you feel good about yourself and take more pride in your appearance then you’re more likely to consult a traditional tattooist than a regular person. How interesting!

Some of you wrote in saying that your experience was the same but not with skincare. There was a whole variety of things that made you feel confident enough to get a tattoo. Some examples of them, for those of you who are curious, were new relationships, new jobs, achieving milestones in your life, going travelling and more. From what I gathered, anything that made people feel good about themselves was enough to inspire them to get their first tattoo. For so many of you, skincare was the confidence boost you needed to learn to express yourself through tattoos. Psychologists should do some sort of study on this phenomenon. 

I’d love for you guys to submit pictures of your tattoos to my inbox. It would be awesome to also get some feedback on the tattoo shop local to Brisbane that you went to because I’m always on the lookout for another place where I can get a tattoo. My whole body is a canvas at this point and I’m not married to anyone particular tattoo parlour. 

I just want to look as good on the outside as I feel on the inside, thanks to my beautifully soft skin that glows when you look at it. Looking good and feeling good is one of the most important parts of being in your mid-twenties. I’m never going to be this young again and so I want to make the most of it whilst I can.

The Animation Messaging

Video Production / By

I can’t believe I get access to all this top-secret information, all because I work near a video production company. I mean, what are the chances? It’s pretty cool, really, even if Melbourne (and now all of Australia) has been taken over by Mechanist Rising. It certainly helps that I can warn my family about incoming laws and restrictions put in place by the Mechanists – thanks to being in close proximity to the video production agency with all the inside knowledge.

I know I said that I was going to stay out of this and just put my head down, hoping to save myself. However, I can’t quite help but feel that I could be doing more. Things are really bad out there. The Conclave is gaining more power by the day. Their goals of world domination don’t even seem that unrealistic anymore. I just wish there was something I could be doing, but I don’t work at the video production company. Melbourne residents are terrified of Mechanist Rising. And honestly, they have no idea what is coming next. If they’re terrified now, I hate to think what the reaction will be to the video I’ve heard is currently in the works.

I’ve been posting these blogs (as well as a video transcript) to random websites on the internet, in the hopes that somebody will see them, but they don’t seem to be gaining traction. Maybe it’s for the best because honestly, I’m pretty scared too. I don’t think toeing the line is going to cut it anymore. These guys are really serious. I can’t keep hearing what the video production business near Melbourne is doing anymore. 

I think it’s time that the video production agency starts putting some hidden messages in these animations. Maybe they can rally people, encourage them to stand up to these new oppressors. And as long as they cover their tracks right, they won’t get caught. 

– Mr Chowski

Solar Stand Off

Energy / By

“Vai, what are you doing?” Maphira asked, not particularly enjoying the feeling of a blaster pressed against the back of her head.

Her partner spat on the floor of the solar power facility’s battery room. “We’ve worked too hard to let this all come undone now. Captain Hold thought that by seeing the work of the Conclave, you’d come around to our cause, but evidently, he was wrong.”

Maphira blinked twice in shock. Even her sister’s mouth hung open. Captain Hold and Vai? Mechanists? Surely not.

“Vai, just put the blaster down,” said Rylee, standing ready to push the button that would destroy a major Conclave base. “I can’t say I’m too surprised. I always did have a strange feeling about you when I was in the force.”

Vai laughed, short and bitter. “Oh, it’s not just me, you idiot. Not just Captain Hold, either. The entire precinct has come around to our mission. Our utopia of a machine society is almost within reach. By the end of the year, everybody will have solar PPAs, and when everybody has access to solar power, the Uprising will begin. Step away from the console or your sister gets it. I know you still care about each other.”

Rylee looked at Maphira with wide eyes. It was true; as much as they annoyed each other, they were still sisters. Maphira gave the slightest nod, hoping her sister would understand what she wanted.

A society where anybody could access a business offering solar product solutions sounded perfect, but not if machines ruled the entire world. She wouldn’t let it happen. Maphira didn’t know why Rylee had targeted the base in Hobart, but it was clearly for a good reason.

Taking the hint, Rylee slammed her hand into the button. The bluff failing, Vai stood shocked for a moment, and it was enough for Maphira to dodge out of the way, spin and knock her former partner down.

Red lights flashed. Warning sirens sounded. The facility shook, and the room began to collapse. Debris separated the sisters, as it became clear that they needed to flee.

Advocates of Melbourne

Buyer's Advocate / By

Somewhere in the depths of Melbourne gathers a secret sect, a powerful group, a conclave that hides in the shadows, waiting to enact their plots. This group is known as the Advocates of Melbourne. This is their story.

The Advocates formed a special alliance in the year 2020, after the mad tyrant known as Premier Norris declared that all conveyancers and buyer’s agents would help him find his dream home for free. Not wanting to assist the mad premier, the group fled to the sewers of Melbourne. There, these people would unite together to be the ultimate sect of property advocates. Melbourne and its premier, Norris, would not stand a chance against their united power. One man, an up-and-coming buyer’s advocate by the name of Riley, would lead them in a secret battle against the corrupt premier. 

The battle was fierce and relentless. For three days, the premier’s guards and the advocates fought beneath Government House. And just when it seemed that hope had run out for the property advocates, Premier Norris lost the election to Dr Dark McBane. As Norris fled to the countryside, Riley met with McBane to discuss a potential treaty. But McBane had other ideas for the Advocates of Melbourne. He proposed to Riley that he could be the only buyer’s advocate close to Elsternwick, having dominion over the area. This was a deal that Riley could not refuse, so he turned his back on the Advocates of Melbourne and joined McBane.

Ever since this betrayal, the other members of the Advocates of Melbourne have been plotting their revenge. While they have been branded as a sinister group by some, all they want is for Riley to face justice, so that they can return to the streets of Melbourne and serve the community as the best property advocates around. To some, they may be villains, but to me, they are the true heroes of this story.