Where do I start?
Maybe a good start would be with a small apology to my loyal readers for not updating my blog as often as I should. Both of you (see previous post) were pretty peeved! *snort*
But I’m hoping to make it up to you with loads of juicy gossip, tasteless innuendo (in-YOUR-end-oh!) and tons of graphic updates of my life that you can live vicariously through… When those kinds of things happen. All I can say in my defense is that, so much has been going on in the life of Carmy Gabriel, that I really haven’t had much of a moment to myself to put it all on paper. Just between the three of us, I just got royally kak-ed on for not doing something, that someone thought I should’ve done, when they didn’t know that I had done it already ages ago… Blah, blah blah!
But I’m getting ahead of myself. Take a few steps back, Gabriel, and tell it like it is.
Since my folks’ scary hijacking a lot has happened in our lives… The first major thing I guess, is that I bought my very FIRST car out the box. My old VW Polo was about 3 years old when I bought her, and she was the love of my life. But it’s been a big ol’ dream of mine to own a brand new car, one that’s never been driven by anyone else before… One that smells of new leather and car polish. Yum! As it happens, by folks finally got paid out by the insurance people and were looking for a car to replace the stolen one. My brother owns a Renault, one of those super sporty ones (2 door, V6, only 15 of them in the country), and has been telling us for AGES that they’re the best cars around. So, when the folks saw an ad in the paper for a special offer on the new Renault Logan they decided to go in for a test drive. Me, being the nosy bitch that I am, simply had to tag along to see what the car was all about. Little did I know that I’d be signing on the dotted line for my own silver one the very next day. Here’s my new baby:
Check out the specs here friends.
I’ve called him The Wolverine… (Logan? Silver like the blades? Geddit?)
He’s a lot more “grown up” than the kind of car I’m used to (sedan vs hatchback) and I wasn’t planning on buying a new car until next year some time. But it was such an awesome deal and such incredible performance / bang for your buck (as you can see from the specs) that I really couldn’t resist. To sweeten the deal, the amazing folks at Renault even threw in the cream leather interior. Finally! My brand new car, out the brand new box, with the brand new smell of leather!
He runs like a freakin’ wild wolf in a freakin’ crazy forest with a freakin’ insane GROWL ripping out of his freakin’ chest! RRRROOOOOWWWWRRRR!
Ok… Maybe he’s a little tamer than that. He’s a lover not a fighter, my Wolverine, but don’t you ever back this baby into a corner. He’ll rip your head off if he has to! :)
Let’s see… What happened next?
I had a birthday. If it wasn’t for my cousins Jarrod and Nadia, my brothers’ expensive taste and for the book clubs girls, it would have been just another shitty birthday. Jazz and Nadia spoiled me rotten with about 2 tons of sushi and several gallons of white wine. My brothers bought me a very fancy camera because they know how trigger-happy I can get when “the light is right”. And the girls bought me the most amazing gifts. They know me well! There wasn’t a single thing I’d exchange or not use. Everything was perfect.
Oh! Then my folks decided to renew their wedding vows at our church when their new wedding rings arrived from the jeweller / insurance people. Thirty seven years together and they STILL wanted to make it official. Again! It was very sweet. There wasn’t a dry eye in the church that day as they stood at the altar to take their vows. Mom had pale lemon orchids in her wedding bouquet 37 years ago, so they were the logical choice for the flowers she would wear in her hair this time around. Dad wore one his coat lapel. I was emotional but tired, the super sweet smell of the 100 cupcakes I’d baked and decorated the night before still stinging my nose and clinging to my skin. Mom ordered hundreds of pale cream petit fours as the “wedding cake”. We piled them onto my grandmother’s 3-tiered cake stand, a priceless family heirloom that now resides with Proud Me. It was a wonderful morning of smiles and happy tears and promises of forever and champagne and family and friends and sore feet and laughing kiddies and sugary icing everywhere including my hair… It was several weeks ago already and it’s still the hot topic of conversation when we get together over Sunday lunch.
I was richly rewarded for my efforts on the day (and my support through the tough time of the hijacking)… Even though I insisted that they didn’t, my incredible mom and dad treated me to a stunning smoky topaz cocktail ring and used their jewellery connections to get me a great deal on another little diamond treat I’ve had my eye on for ages. So, yes, I’m both a nosy bitch AND a spoilt bitch. But then we all knew that already. Moving on.
Then what? Erm…
Little Baby Tannah had her blessing last week and I was her parents’ choice to lead the day’s formalities. She’s a lot bigger now than she was in the invitation pics, so here’s a pic of her at Grandpa’s house with the cutest little pink bow in her hair…
Lorraine and Robin must’ve been in the ultimate, prime Karma Sutra position on that fateful night to produce a child this cute. I’m going to have to ask them for some tips if/when it’s my turn. Her grandpa showed me one of his baby pics when I was there for the blessing and… wow! I never knew that kind of cloning was possible. She is the IMAGE of her Gramps. Too cute.
And finally… I’ve saved the biggest news for last!
On the 1st November I handed in my letter of resignation to my three other partners at Public Address. The amazing folks over at Paton Tupper have made me a wonderful offer that I simply couldn’t refuse. For those of you who know me well, you’ll know that this was a bitter-sweet change for me, saying goodbye to the agency that I’ve helped build from the ground up. We’ve come through some seriously tough times together and partied our asses off together during the good times, so the three boys (Wayne, Nic and Rein) have become brothers to me. I’ve learnt so much and grown so much as a writer, professional, leader, advertising creative, woman and friend, that even the tough times could never be wrenched from my tightly-clenched grubby paws.
But I felt like the time had come for a new set of challenges and a new beginning for Carmy Gabriel. I leave behind my family at Public Address (literally – my mom and dad still work there!) and some of the most amazing friends I’ve made in my lifetime… But then, have I really left them behind if they’re literally just up the road from the new place (like, 2kms away) and they’ll always be in my heart? Forever.
Incidentally... If you've been paying attention, this is why I was getting kak-ed on earlier. I've promised the Public Address guys I'll get as much of my work done as possible before I leave, but I guess I hadn't realised how much I'd have to take care of. Yikes. I'm getting there!
Paton Tupper, here’s to new friendships and even more stuff to build from the ground up. I’m scared, nervous and excited all at the same time. I feel like I have a lot to prove to show the new guys that I’m worth every penny they’re investing in me. Just the other night I had a nightmare that it was my first day there and the building had moved and I got completely late and lost trying to find it. When I eventually found the building I parked on the wrong end and had to walk for miles before I found where I’d be sitting. And yes, when I looked down, I wasn’t wearing any pants. (*sonofabitch*) It was one of THOSE dreams! I’m 36 and I still get nervous about the first day of school, hey?!
Here’s to new amazing beginnings for me! Maybe my Year of the Tiger has turned out to be amazing beyond my wildest dreams after all…
:)
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