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My brain is a basket of mismatched socks

Last weekend I lost it over a pile of socks. It was a pile of socks I had been staring at for more than a year before finally trying, and failing, to do something with. I used to have a system. When an odd sock came out of the wash I would put it in a basket in the corner…

Happy pills – the changing of the guard

Disclaimer: I know there will be people reading this who don’t think medication for mental health is a good idea. That is your prerogative. I have tried living both with and without it and have come to an informed decision that I would rather be a functioning human being on cray cray pills than the wretched creature I am without….

Rescuing my babies

Well it happened. I got ‘the call’ from the publisher – Starboard has been out for a year and the copies they have left aren’t moving anymore. With limited space in their warehouse it was time for the oldies to make way for the new kids, leaving me with the choice of buying up the stock they had left or…

My Metal Guru

For Joel Flynn One thing I have learned the hard way this past week is the importance of letting people who are special to you know they are special. If someone is fucking wonderful tell them they are fucking wonderful, on a regular basis. If you admire the hell out of them, tell them – because you never know when…

Children, lift up your voice

I was feeling a little overwhelmed by the world last night and sat up writing a blog. I had literally just finished the draft of this when the earth started shaking and blue lights lit up the sky I couldn’t work out whether it was a sign to publish or not. I could use a distraction though, so I’m going…

Mental Health Foundation fundraiser for email followers and a review!

Hi all, My technical adviser (Paddy) has informed me that the Paypal link to buy the Mental Health Foundation fundraiser copies of Starboard does not work from the body of subscriber emails (though it does if you click right through to the blog). To make it easier though, you can find it here Also the lovely folk at the Mental…

Starboard Mental Health Foundation fundraiser

Short version for busy folk – 50% from Which Way is Starboard Again? book sales will now go to the New Zealand Mental Health Foundation – you can get it here for $19.99 Reading the stories generated by Mental Health Awareness Week has been both inspiring and depressing. It has been inspiring to see the strength of those living with…

Basket case

Last mental health awareness week I recycled my coming out of the cray cray closet blog but a lot has happened between then and now so I think it’s time for a new one. One of the drawbacks of writing a book about being a functioning nutbar is that it puts a whole lot of pressure on you to be…

My very own starboard marker

Six months ago I lost my idol. The man very much responsible for me being me. I was devastated at the time and so was much of the world. David Bowie was such a huge part of so many lives – it was impossible to believe that someone who was so brave, intelligent and downright magical could be gone. I…

What happens when you get bored while painting a boat

Just a quick blog to say hallelujah the boat is back in the water! It’s taken a lot longer than we anticipated – for reasons that shall be explained in another blog – and it is a massive relief to finally have our lives back again. What was meant to take a few weeks stretched to a couple of months,…