Saturday, September 29, 2012

Annual Leave

Between the 17th-21st of September I had paid annual leave from work. I get a generous amount of annual leave each year, but I rarely take it because I don't really have anything to do on my time off. I'm also trying to save my annual leave for a holiday to the UK/Europe next October/November.
So, I haven't actually had any time off since I started my job over a year ago. My manager came over and said that I should really take a week off.

I'm usually at a loss what to do on holidays. I spend all of Monday being anxious around the house. Sometimes it's really hard for me just to sit down and watch a movie, or read a book. I decided to try and fill my week with as much as I could.

On Tuesday I went on a little adventure by myself. I took the train to visit the Museum of Natural History, which is a hidden treasure in Guildford. I never knew about this museum, but it's basically a bunch of taxidermy animals that a Perth taxidermist prepared. Every animal in the museum was acquired by natural means, no animal was killed for the taxidermy (which I think is good).

My outfit was simple, for a lot of walking. I did freak out a shop owner with my shirt though! Haha :)

The museum sits along a strip of antique stores, I visited each one along the way and was surprised at the amount of overpriced stuff they were trying to sell. Not to mention weird things. Such as:

Random Indians!!
 
I finally reached the museum, enjoy the photos! There is more about my week holiday after the photos.
 
The Museum is held in an old Edwardian house.
 
Here is a mannequin that they put the skin on. This is a an unfinished lion. The story was that the lion was a lovely specimen with a beautiful mane. But when the skin was being send from the east coast the postal van caught on fire and everything was lost!! Very sad.
 
Creepy mannequins
 
 This reminds me of Lovecats by The Cure!
 
On Wednesday I went with a new friend to the Tip Shop. It sounds pretty gross, but the Tip Shop is basically a recycling centre selling a bunch of junk found at the tip. I enjoy shifting through other peoples garbage, there's a lot of interesting and not to interesting things. I bought a book, and an unopened tube of paint. My friend got a bunch of stuff too. The best thing is the price, the lady who runs it gave everything to us for $8!

On Thursday I had a rent inspection at my apartment. I don't like being around for rent inspections, having to sit in my perfect clean apartment waiting for the agent to arrive (between the hours of 8am-5pm). So I hung out all day with an old friend from college, Jenna. Jenna is really rad, she always makes me laugh and we never run out of things to say. She also reads my blog (hi Jenna!)
Jenna can drive, so we went for a shopping trip. While eating lunch at the food court we tried to think of what to do next. I think Jenna suggested we go to New Norcia, which is a hour and a half drive from Perth. I love that place, so I said yes! I love random adventures!
We had a quick tour of New Norcia before we had to jump in the car to return to Perth :) Totally worth it.

Spring in the country is really nice. There were lots of blue wildflowers along the road, and fields of yellow flowers (canola maybe?)
 
 At the New Norcia cemetery
 
On Thursday night I went with my friend Nikki to Devilles pad. We ate fried chicken and cornbread. Nikki is one of the friends I was having trouble with before. We're trying to mend the friendship, and I'm trying my hardest to figure out my feelings and what I really need.


On Friday, me and Nikki had brunch and went shopping. I found some Halloween items! I had a therapy session afterwards, and I got caught in a storm on the way home and got soaked to the bone.

I'm sorry that I'm super pale! SO BRIGHT!
 
Here is Nikki looking cute. The sun was very glaring.
 
A tombstone decorations, cups, hairclips.
 
On Saturday I joined my friend Dani in the city to get her dread extensions put in.


One down, a bazillion to go.
 
Here is the finished result, looking cute! Dani handled it well, it looked like it really hurt!

On Sunday I went to the city again with my sister Kirsty. We went to see Hotel Transylvania, which I didn't mind. I enjoyed all the cute spooky things. Afterwards we went to the Perth Museum. More taxidermy, YAY!

Kirsty was a seal in another life.
 
Here's our mate the platypus. Can you believe that even they are poisonous? Everything in Australia seems to be deadly :P
 
Dorks
 
Boring rocks, right?
 
No! They glow in the dark!!

Here's what I wore
 
So I had a really busy weekend after all. The next holiday I'll get will be a week at Christmas, where the library has a shut-down.

8 comments:

Laura Morrigan said...

I'm glad you had a fun week, it sounds really full and wonderful! I am glad you are working things out with your friends. The taxidermy animals are wonderful, I love when they have nice faces like those ones, as opposed to the bodgy ones amateurs give them, I think they seem more at peace when they look good. Maybe they are vain about it :P

Alexandriaweb said...

Some of those animals look like they're about to get up and walk away! 0.o

Insomniac's Attic said...

What's your secret for taking pictures of taxidermy behind glass? My pictures always turn out like crap when I try it!

Love the picture of you in the cemetery! :D

Meagan Kyla said...

What are awesome week! You look super duper cute in all your outfits and I love that you live adventures :)

Thanks for sharing all the pictures, if I ever come visit you have to take me to all those wonderful museums, I love bones ;)

J.Bane said...

Yay for paid leave! Looks like you had some fun times! You certainly did have a great outfit every day. I hope you and Nikki are able to work things out, and that your new friend becomes a good friend. Adventures are better when shared... thanks for sharing with us. :)

Natalie said...

Insomniac's Attic: I didn't use flash, and tried to get it on an angle. Luckily the area wasn't full of bright light.

Meagan: You can come and stay with me!

Bane: I love adventures. It's so much fun

Leslie said...

Just today I was suggesting to a friend (who I only get to see once every year and a half or so) that we should go visit the Smithsonian next time we can both take off work. Yaaaaay dead things and old stuff and not losing pay over it!

Lucretia said...

LOVE the pics, especially the outfits! I was supposed to take my vacation the same week, great minds... But I got talked into taking mine the following week, instead. I think yours was probably more fun, since you got to look at dead stuff! :-)