It’s not unheard of for me, or The Fourth Quarter to rock a spontaneous roadtrip. To get in a car and just go away for the day. We’ve done it before, we have. So when I was asked if I wanted to come on a spontaneous road trip, I was totally in.

Except, that if you’ve planned it in advance, it’s not really spontaneous. And if they people you’re going with are the type of organised people who can’t not plan, its not going to impulsive. In fact, when we all met up, there was a destination and a vague plan of action already being discussed! It amused me no, end, it did. Planning a spontaneous trip indeed :P We agreed on semi-spontaneous, where the spontaneous part was that we knew where we were going, but we didn’t really know how to get there. Semi-spontaneous. We’d follow signs or something.

In the end, The Fourth Quarter, the amazing Foo + Heidi and I went up to the Kai Iwi lakes. They were amazing. The water was ridiculously clear, the earth under our feet warm, it was absolutely divine. We lay down some blankets (what The Fourth Quarter kept calling ‘macs’, because they were ‘padded on the bottom’) and hung out. Ate some sandwhiches, went swimming, napped.

On the way back, we stopped at Sheep World to admire the pink sheep (they were pretty elusive despite being so pink!) and we also went by Waiwera, to soak in the hot springs. It was absolutely DIVINE! Perhaps it’s just me, but I could definitely sit in a gorgeously hot spring all day.

It was late, and the sun had long disappeared by the time we managed to leave the pools. It was such an epic day of driving and brilliant company, and singing in the car. Sundays, I think, were made for semi-spontaneous adventures. :)

I’m not a generally festive person. I don’t really enjoy Christmas Carols, and sure, I’ll put up a tree. But only so the presents have something to sit underneath. It’s not that I hate it, or don’t enjoy it. It’s just that it takes so much effort. I’d much rather walk down Franklin Rd, or hang out in Western Park and enjoy other people’s efforts.

But then this morning, while I was dropping Quinn off at daycare, I took the two seconds to help Quinn be a bit more festive. Because I’m pretty sure that Quinn is the kind of dog who really would enjoy making the Christmas effort if he didn’t live with such a ‘cant be bothered’ family.

Sometimes, even if you can’t be bothered, Christmas wriggles its way into your heart with its cuteness, and you can’t help feel a little bit festive.

The first compliment of the night was from a stranger waiting across the road from me, waiting for the lights to change. A young man with wide shoulders, a days worth of stubble and a ready smile. He looked like a working man, a mechanic or a builder, dressed up for a night out. We crossed the road, and as he passed me he half turned. I turned in response, in time to see him grin like a schoolboy.

“You look really hot in your jeans”, he said.

He smiled, and I smiled, and we went our separate ways. Usually a builder boy telling me how hot I am isn’t taken as a compliment. It’s considered tacky and uncouth. But not that night. I smiled to myself, that some stranger liked the way I filled out my jeans. There was no motive there, no saying sweet things to get into my pants. I’m going to call it an honest observation that lifted my spirits no end. As The Third Quarter would say, the universe was telling me to feel better.

The compliments after that came quick and steady. I was meant to be meeting a friend. A curly haired boy who last time I’d met him had been a sweet, perfectly charming gentleman. Tonight was no different, really. The cider he was drinking made him a little more honest, I think. A little bit more free with words than he might otherwise have been.

I’d interrupted a work celebration. He introduced me to many people with charming accents and cute grins. One man named ‘Bear’ kissed my hand on introduction. Another with an Irish accent picked me up and twirled me around after I made a flirtatious comment. It was pretty wonderful company to be in.

My curly haired friend brought me a wine, and then another. And then we were dancing in a crowded bar to a man playing acoustic covers. I was twirled and kissed and twirled again. It was delightful, and sweet. The whispered conversation between twirls was sweet, too. He couldn’t believe I was here, and did I know how pretty I was? How every man there couldn’t believe that I was on his arm? I believe I was being charmed, I was.

With the wine, and the people and the dancing and the sweetness . . . I really didn’t want to leave. I wanted time to stop and couldn’t we just pretend that this is how life is all the time? A ridiculously cute boy twirling me round, telling me I’m gorgeous? That my freckles are too ridiculously cute to be allowed? It was divine, and easy and couldn’t time just stop?

But, I’d already made plans with another set of friends, and I’m not one to blow friends off. No matter how cute the boy is. So, I left with a kiss goodbye and walked out into the dark. Away from the sweetness.

To be honest, I’m not really sure what I’m doing with myself. I’m loosing myself in wine and cute curly-haired distractions. Is this how moving forward is meant to go?

Hurrah! I’ve made it through another month! This month was a little harder than last. I kept forgetting to pick up the camera on my way out the door (its a big SLR, not the most pleasant thing to lug around) which meant I’d get home at around 11pm and go gah! Have to take a photo! It meant lots of photos in my bathroom, or ‘look at the camera and JUST TAKE IT’. Taking a photo everyday is not as easy as I thought it would be. It requires effort, and commitment. Still, it helps pass the time and I haven’t given up on it yet! :)

So, this was my November:

1st of November to the 30th of November. 56 down. 309 to go.

Past Months: October.

Wow, what a crazy month! More people contributed this month (yay!). I was especially stoked with the Movember photos:

Movember was all about raising awareness about Prostate Cancer by growing facial hair. We didn’t grow any facial hair, nor raise any funds, but I love that we all supported the people who did anyway :)

I have to say, I cheated. I did all of mine in one photo:

I had a Fake Facial in the shape of a Ginger Mo, I Jumped for Joy, and I did so near a Feathered Friend. :)

Hopefully more of you will get involved in December, it’s alot of fun and so easy to do. The idea is simple. You have till the end of the month to upload three photos (just three) to the Steve’s Orienteering Challenge flickr group. That’s it. Easy, and a fun way to encourage people to get out and do something a bit random. You don’t even have to upload all three challenges to participate. Just one or two is fine!

December Challenges:

1. Seasonal Silliness
December is generally the month of Seasonal Awesome. Christmas, or Hanukkah or just Holiday Grandness, whatever it is you celebrate, snap a shot of you enjoying the season. Sit on Santa’s lap, wrap yourself in tinsel or cover yourself in presents. Rock the Seasonal Joy!

2. You, a Refrigerator and a Self-Portrait.
In December, my refrigerator is generally filled with food. I’m pretty keen to see whats in yours. :P

3. Literary Skins
Take a pen, and a quote, and some skin and combine the three. Skins and bodies are made to be written on. They are pretty like that.

Anyway, that’s it for this month! Hope your December is filled with much joy and that perhaps you’ll decide to join this month’s Steve’s Orienteering Challenge! :)