As a blogger, and someone who has lived in the online world since almost the beginning of the online world, the very idea of locking an account always seemed so bizarre to me. Why would anyone lock their account? Isn’t the purpose of being online to share and learn and meet new people and gather new ideas and opinions? It used to very much be that for me but at a point I think everyone realizes that they reached their goal.

My goal was to get 1,000 followers. I tweeted A LOT and I was sassy and swore like a pirate and promoted my then business and got to my goal after a couple of years. Along the way I met some amazing people online and now very dear friends from Twitter. I even met some of the guys I’ve dated, online. Shhh. Online has always been my friend but a sometimes I felt like part of it stole my soul along the way.

This January I was in Australia with my family, and my phone wasn’t connected to a network for the majority of the trip. It was so incredibly liberating. I was having an amazing time, I didn’t need to hide behind my phone out of nervousness because I was with my family and I felt free. I felt like I was alive again. I decided to do something about it to continue the rush. I was inspired to cancel some accounts that really didn’t do anything for me except use up time. Foursquare, Klout and G+were the first to go with Instagram shortly following thereafter. I kept three, well I guess four online accounts – Twitter, Facebook, Flickr and this blog.

I feel like I am once again more able to focus on the things that are important. It’s a shame that I didn’t do part of this years ago, BUT if I had I would not be the person I am today.

Back to Twitter though: Why protect that account as it went against everything I once believed it in to the point where I refused to follow people who had protected accounts or let them follow me. Well, I am nosy and I tend to search for topics and people and trending things outside my timeline which isn’t always the most positive experience and let’s face it, also a total time suck. I thought about it more after looking through the list of those I follow, who are all in one list, and then looking at those people who follow me and thought – You know what? I think I’m good. I think if I never had another follower I’d be OK and if I protect my account I’ll stay more focused as I look only inside the box (my timelines) and stop searching outside. I figured why not give it a go.

I protected my account.

It felt so weird at the start as I have never locked off anything before. Well, actually that’s not true because my Facebook account is very private, but as far as twitter goes and blogging goes I had I think an total of five people ever permanently blocked from seeing my account – three persistent followers who made me nervous and two ex-boyfriends who I just needed to shut out of my life. Apart from that, no-one was blocked because I had nothing to hide. I wanted to share more and more and of course more sharing sometimes means more Twitter followers. That’s not as important to me anymore. I don’t have the time to keep up with this blog, tweet interesting things for people to see, or for me to be able to fully interact with other people like I used to. I’m no longer writing full time, so having a fantastic social media profile isn’t as important for me anymore. I’m no longer trying to monetize any of my sites either, so that also makes a difference. I work in a different field and I need to focus when I’m at work to continue staying employed. My job is really interesting and exciting and I’m very busy but on lunch breaks I and every now and then I will check in. I do miss the days of being fully online, but I prefer my full time wage.

After the internet detox in Australia I am also less interested in sharing my life with everyone. Why does everyone on the planet get to see what I am up to? Says me as I write a blog post, yes I am a hypocrite I will admit it, but I love the attention of a blog, and I have been doing it for years and years so it’s part of me. Lots of people love living vicariously through the stuff I get up to and tweet about, but I’m sure others just find me and my account to be annoying. They no longer have to be bothered by it as now the walls are closed.

I really don’t think anyone will be missing that much from outside my newly protected account with the oh so shiny lock. Really, all it is is me talking about my life and most of you who know me here, follow me there already. The one thing that has been a bit of a cool perk and I honestly never thought about in the past is the fact that I now am the gatekeeper to my account and now people have to be given permission to see what I tweet! I am the door bitch. Huzzah! The egomaniac in me makes me think my account looks even sexier now because of that but the realist in me says, hey are going to be SO disappointed once they see the reality but I will let the new arrivals decide that, not me.

I will remain in my timeline and you are more than welcome to join me there.

Update: After a few weeks of insanity things settled down, and people kept requesting for me unlock my account so I unlocked my account again. On the flipside I spent a lot of time thinking about blogging and I have pretty much decided to stop and replace it with real contact with people I care about as, well as old school pen to paper journal writing. Thanks to those of you who have followed me over the years but this is not my life anymore. Follow me on Flickr, Picasa, Tumblr and Twitter. I might start blogging again but for the most part, I’m done. 

“Before I go, I just want to say you were fantastic. Absolutely fantastic. And you know what? So was I! “

I don’t get it. I don’t understand how my son trashes a new pair of shoes and how he manages to do it so quickly.  I’ve tried velcro and he ruins the front. I’ve tried laces but he ruins the front and the laces. I’ve tried slip ons and he somehow destroys the entire freaking shoe so the tongue is hanging out and then he falls out of them. I have no idea what to do about this and he knows it makes me mad but still continues to trash shoes.

I understand that he is a boy but bloody hell. Steel toed boots may be next.

Did you do this to shoes? Do your kids do this to shoes? Do you have any tips – apart from duct tape?

If you are thinking of getting a pet for Xmas please adopt. My dog Magnus, that I miss like crazy was from a shelter and Harley was adopted too. Adopted animals are given a second chance and Harley and her friends thank you.

Just wait for Coachella….

ANYHOW.

I’m about to get on a mega plane to go to Australia next week and I want your help.  I will be stuck in cattle class for an eternity as I wait impatiently to get from LAX to MEL and I would like to listen to music. I need music or drugs. Maybe both. Depends on the flight really. Geezus I hate flying. At least this time I’ll be flying with someone who claims he will stroke my hair until I fall asleep. Let’s see.

That last paragraph really didn’t flow so here it is again in bullet form.

• I hate flying
• I love music
• Make my life more bearable
• Give me the good stuff
• SPOTIFY rocks my socks off
• Music me

Wait, I didn’t mention Spotify yet? I should do that now.

I have  and LOVE , LOVE, LOVE (in all caps ) Spotify. It gets me through my day. I pay $10 a month for unlimited access and it is worth every penny. I can download playlists to listen to in offline mode and I don’t have any commercials. I don’t need Sirius because I can play radio via my phone in my car. It’s really cool and if you haven’t checked it out you should.  KFP recommended. I need to spend some more time collecting and collating songs in my area as it is a bit of a mess at the moment. My top artists aren’t really accurate as sometimes I leave things running when I am off at a meeting at work so that messes things up a bit. I do love it though. If you want to get an idea of the sort of stuff I listen to, check this out:

Very random but all good stuff. I have a couple of friends on Spotify who make outstanding playlists. My favourite at the moment is Jessica Strassman. She makes monthly lists of songs that are the bees knees  - and to top it off she’s awesome in real life.  In reality I should hate her for that but who could? She rules.

How is this related to my flight and music? Well, I have created a collaborate playlist called #KPF Flies for 30 Hours that you can feel free to add songs to. Please add anything that you think I’d like or that you think I should hear. I love new music.

My music preference? Indie.

What will I listen to? Anything and everything – except Chris Brown. Fuck that guy.

Help me out and add some songs to the list and keep me sane for 30 hours of flying and beyond.

Here’s the link. Add some songs. KFP on a plane thanks you.

I have shot guns in a shooting range and it was fun but I feel zero need to own one and I would not be comfortable ever having one in a house where I lived.

“But I need my gun to protect me! It’s my right!” Bullshit. I dated a guy who kept a bowie knife under his pillow because he was waiting for the zombie apocalypse and wanted to be prepared. He’s still waiting. But hey, zombies are coming so he’ll be a-ok.

Call me what you want, I really don’t give a shit. The public safety of children and families and men and women and young people and old people and those in between is more important than your right to have a gun. Guns have to be controlled. Many other things also have to be changed throughout society, including education, mental health care and other things but guns have to be better controlled. Before you give me your argument against gun reform, please go ahead and look at what happened to Australian gun laws after the Port Arthur Massacre and tell me that that didn’t have an impact.

“Researchers at Harvard University in 2011 revealed that in the 18 years prior to the 1996 Australian laws, there were 13 gun massacres (four or more fatalities) in Australia, resulting in 102 deaths. There have been none in that category since the Port Arthur laws.” (more)

Then go and check out Japan and their lack of guns and remind me again about how you need a gun to defend yourself, just in case.

Like I said yesterday I have no answers, I am not a psychologist or a politician, but I have always, always been anti-guns. Ask my family. Feel free to reply to this post but  I have zero desire arguing with anyone about it because you can throw rights and amendments at me until the cows come home yet you know what  I will reply?  I don’t care. I can’t love a gun.

It’s just dumb luck in conjunction with the law of averages combined with living in LA, but to me this list allows me to play bucketlist bingo with a YES! every time a new gig is announced for any of these acts. It has become a thing when I notice gig announcements that for bands that are on the list I have to go over on Facebook and  note – “ON THE LIST!”.

Curious? Here is the list, written down about six months ago and all for me – except for The Smiths. That one was added a week ago and that one is for @TheScenestar.

2012/2013 List of Want.

Love Psychedelico
Rolling Stones
Crowded House
Kyle Minogue
Nick Cave
silverchair
Depeche Mode
Blur
Gorillaz
LCD Soundsystem
Moby
Radiohead
Lower Dens
Damien Rice
Zero 7
Red Sparrowes
Godspeed! You Black Emperor
Explosions in the Sky
Josh Pyke
Run Run Run
Eskimo Joe
Public Enemy
Fleetwood Mac
NIN
(And How To Kill an Angel)
Robbie Williams
Mute Math
Daft Punk
Ben Lee
Ben Folds
Powderfinger
The Glitch Mob
Kasabian
Kavinsky
Empire of the Sun
Mutemath
Metric
Royskopp
Beck
Ratatat
Noah and the Whale
The Dandy Warhols
Oasis
Bon Iver
Arcade Fire
Spoon
Archer Black
The Bravery
Brad Sucks
Crash Kings
The Parlour Mob
Civil Twilight
Rumspringa
Local Natives
Cloud Control
Millionaire
Caspian
Dan Croll
Other Lives
Marilyn Manson
The Smiths – for @TheScenestar.

Speaking of @TheScenestar and lists, did you see I got a photo credit for a list he made for Discover Los Angeles? Check out The Scenestar’s Los Angeles.

Nice work kid.

Do I get an extra point in bingo for photo credit? I say yes. Make your own list and mark them off as people announce tours. Fun times for all.

ON THE LIST!

“I’m so glad you are happy.’

“You look great!”

“You look so happy, Susan.’

“It good to see that things have worked out for you.”

and

“Get ready to (insert verb) at the show/Coachella/VIP/signed poster/ meet the band/ Grammy after-party…”

Waking up and being told how much I am loved and how gorgeous I am also hasn’t hurt.

Life is good. I like it.

Feel free to update my saying to the following:

Music (and love) are my drugs of choice.

Recently I decided that it was time to share something from my childhood with my kids and this thing was Dr Who. Granted, some of the episodes are a little bit scary but overall it’s a fun show that encourages them to think. We started watching via Netflix and the kids were hooked. To them, well at the moment anyhow, their doctor is Christopher Eccelson – the ninth doctor, and they love Rose. They love figuring out how the episodes are linked and it’s fun to see them figure it out. Lightbulbs galore.

Another thing that my kids have watched from start to end is Mr Bean. They love certain episodes and they especially like the Merry Xmas Mr Bean episode. We watched it again yesterday and there was a moment, a  cool moment when my son stood up and said “OMG! Mum! That’s a Dalek!”

Passing the torch. EXTERMINATE!!

Update: The Doctor just changed to David Tennent and luckily our resident Dr Who fan is in the house (Shawna) to explain to the kids what’s going on.

2010: “… This year I do want to tell you what I thankful for. I read a post this morning that inspired me. I’m thankful for here. The internet. Twitter. Blogs. Pandora. YouTube. (Facebook). I’m amazed everyday by the things I learn and the things people chose to take from me. This year has been absolutely amazing as through these outlets I have learnt to be stronger, more passionate and to believe in myself. I’ve made friends that have gotten me through what was a very rough year and have brought me out the other end being more positive and powerful than ever before. I’m thankful for trivia, sandwich trains, forts and foodtrucks, inside jokes and inspiration. Tweets and updates and blog posts. Typing at all hours of the day and night. Coffee. Spending hours and hours trading links to new songs and new sites. I’ve rediscovered my love for writing and my love for music. These people are who keep me going. These outlets are what make me me.”

There was a lot going on, a lot was hidden and I was of course thankful for my new no-so- real-online-life-reality in which I would escape. I don’t have to hide behind a screen anymore.

This year has been one in which I haven’t been online anywhere near as much as I was in the past because now after a long time of hiding  I am finally happy with reality. I have had some huge ups and downs but overall I’ve come through better than ever and I have many people who I am incredibly thankful for who have supported me along the way.

Here we go, in 2012 I am thankful for many things and here are some highlights:

I am very thankful for my two truly amazing children who I work so hard for to give as much as I can to. They are amazing souls, so clever, so talented and I am very proud of them both.

I am thankful for my friends here and home and my family back at home who are always there when I need them but also know that I am a stubborn, independent pain in the ass who likes to do things my own way. I am thankful for my friends who have stuck with me and those new ones I have made. I am thankful to be surrounded by great people.

I am thankful for the opportunities I have been given both personally and professionally. I really love what I do and the people I work with.

I am thankful for that one night back in May in which I had the balls to message someone I didn’t know, didn’t know what they did or who they were. I just thought he was cute and liked that he liked music and hockey. He is the most amazing person and I am so incredibly thankful for finding that one person who really adores me.  I am so very grateful for the things we see and do. So unbelievably lucky.

I am thankful for music but that goes without saying.

I am thankful for credit cards.

I am thankful for patience and co-parenting and rebuilding broken relationships.

I am thankful for the slowly increasing smile lines etched on my face.

I am thankful that I do not have to cook a turkey.

I am thankful that I never have to watch another game of football.

This Thanksgiving I am so very thankful for finally being happy and I hope and wish the same for you and yours.

Happy Thanksgiving.